Record numbers of Japanese apply for dole

Tokyo: The number of Japanese households on welfare was at a record high in January, as jobs vanished  and the recession continued to deepen. The Asahi, a major national daily, said Sunday that applications to the government for welfare were up 30 per cent from December.

The Asahi calculated that almost 1.17 million households received welfare benefits during January.

Officials said Japan, which is the world's second largest economy, is now in the throes of the worst recession since World War II.

The Asahi report pointed out that data showed welfare applications displayed a sharp climb in regions where auto and electronics factories were concentrated. For instance, in central Japan's Aichi prefecture, where Toyota Motor Corp and its suppliers are based, applications were up 72 per cent in January from the previous month.

In recent years, the report says, Japanese manufacturers have hired more short-term workers and fewer permanent employees. This has allowed them to downsize very easily. Major exporters have reduced shifts and announced thousands of job cuts over the past few months.

A recent government report says nearly 158,000 "non-regular" employees in the manufacturing sector will have lost their jobs between October and March.