A Japanese government report shows the number of suicides among working women increased last year. It suggests this could be due to changes in working conditions caused by the spread of coronavirus infections.
Japan's Cabinet approved the annual white paper on suicide prevention at a meeting on Tuesday.
The report says 21,081 people took their own lives in 2020. That is 912 more than the previous year. It is the first year-on-year increase since 2009. The previous increase followed the 2008 global financial crisis.
The white paper says the number of men who committed suicide fell by 23 to 14,055. It is the 11th drop in a row. The number of suicides among women increased by 935 to 7,026. That marks the first increase in two years.
By comparing the number with a five-year average, the report finds the largest increase was among female company employees, who worked in offices, provided healthcare, or furnished other kinds of services.
There was an increase in the number of cases in which changes in working environments, and relations with others at work, were cited as possible reasons or motives for the women's suicides.
The report indicates there is a possible link between the women's suicides and the changes in their working conditions, brought about by the spread of the coronavirus.
The Japanese government plans to work with private organizations to expand consultation services on social media in an effort to prevent suicides.
Source: テレ東BIZ
