Society

Over 30,000 lose jobs due to pandemic

Jul 03 (NHK) - Japan's labor ministry says that since late January, more than 30,000 people across the country have lost or will lose their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The ministry says that 31,710 people became unemployed through dismissal or contract nonrenewal, or were expected to lose their jobs in either way, between late January and July 1.

In April, 2,654 people were dismissed, while 12,952 became jobless in May and 12,688 in June. Around 80 percent of the layoffs came in the last two months.

The ministry says job losses were notable in the accommodation and dining sectors, which have been hit hard by a decrease in tourists and outings. But it says a growing number of people in manufacturing are losing their jobs too.

The ministry says that as of Wednesday, businesses filed about 330,000 applications for government subsidies to pay employees put on temporary leave due to the pandemic. Over 210,000 have been approved.

The labor ministry is urging employers to use the system, which has been improved so that businesses can receive more subsidies for keeping workers.

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