Hours of Overtime Working Decrease 19%, the least in 16 years (statistics in 2008)

Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on May 18, 2009)

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare announced the survey result about monthly statistics of employment on May 18. They found that hours of overtime working in manufacturing companies reduce to 13.4 hours (per person in one month) in 2008, which decrease from last year 18.7%. 13.4 hours are the least in 7 years while 18.7% is the widest decreasing in 16-year time after the huge decreasing of 21.7% in 1992.

The ministry analyzed that "this is surely because the business fell off."

The total income of every type of business has gone down 1.1%, becoming 328,998 yen per person per month. This is the second year of decreasing. Regarding the wage of overtime, 6.7% were reduced making the wage drop at only 18,600 yen per person per month.

Comment: The world's economic crisis is truly the thing we cannot escape. Even though this reduction of overtime is a bad result of it but I think everyone understands that it is the way to ease the current situation.  Everyone is dedicating for the recovery of the country's economy.

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University