Suicide by working age men rises

Nov 22 (NHK) - Japan's health ministry says 705 working-age men in their 20's to 50's committed suicide in September.

The number is 56 or 8.6 percentage points higher than the same month last year.

The number for August was 706, or 6.6 percentage points higher than August of last year.

The ministry says 640 women committed suicide in September, exceeding the figure for the same month last year for the 4th consecutive month.

Tokyo-based NPO LIFELINK says many men keep their problems to themselves without seeking consultation.

Shimizu Yasuyuki who heads the organization says the pandemic is driving non-regular workers and the self-employed into a corner, and that the government must implement measures to protect their jobs.

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