Easy English News: Japanese Firms Block Unwanted Job Hops to Retain Talent

TOKYO — Businesses in Japan have initiated employment evaluations starting June 1 for graduates set to complete their universities in the spring of 2027. Certain companies are ceasing employee transfers unless approved by the employees themselves. They aim for this measure to assist in retaining skilled staff.

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Shifts in work environments and relocation policies have become significant not just for employees, but also for students seeking employment opportunities.

At the headquarters of Daiichi Life Insurance Company in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, students attended job interviews on June 1. There was no specific attire required. Some students dressed in formal wear, while others opted for casual shoes.

The organization will discontinue "transfers without permission" for administrative positions starting in fiscal 2027. It mentioned that job applications have increased approximately 20% compared to the previous year. Several students indicated that this policy adjustment was a factor in their decision to apply.

Sota Hosokawa, 21, a final-year student at Yokohama National University, stated, "I aim to embrace opportunities across the country while I am still young. However, in the years ahead, I might require more time for my family. I prefer to remain adaptable, as I also wish to continue progressing in my professional life."

Akiko Nagaya, who leads recruitment at Daiichi Life Group Inc., stated, "The finance sector has traditionally been seen as one that moves employees across the country. However, we must evolve to allow individuals to define their own career journeys."

Several businesses are modifying their transfer policies due to concerns that unnecessary relocations cause employees to quit, and complicate the recruitment process.

Daido Life Insurance Co. halted employee transfers without staff consent in April 2026 for those in managerial positions. These employees have the option to relocate across over 100 locations within Japan. The firm requested employees' preferred destinations. During the April restructuring, over 90% of career path workers were assigned one of their top three choices. Employees who actually relocating could receive as much as 150,000 yen.

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. introduced a new policy in fiscal year 2026. Employees can now continue working in the prefecture of their choice. The company aims to eliminate unnecessary job rotations and allow staff to shape their own professional journeys.

Additionally, in April 2026, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Company allowed employees to decide whether they would agree to job rotations. Some staff members mentioned that this policy simplifies future planning.

(Akihiro Kawakami's Japanese version, Tokyo City News Department)

Vocabulary

move: to be relocated from one location to another by an organization

assessment: an evaluation or examination used to select individuals

consent: agreement to something

uses: documents or digital applications submitted to apply for employment

financial: about money

sector: a part of the economy, such as automobiles or finance

Management path: a program designed for aspiring leaders

reassign: a shift in roles or locations

Worker Seriously Injured in Factory Machine Accident at SPC Affiliate

A tragic incident took place at a bakery facility owned by SPC subsidiary Shany, resulting in serious harm to an employee in his 40s.

As reported by the Dalseong Police Station and Daegu Fire Department on the 11th, approximately 9:38 a.m. the prior day, Mrs. A, a 40-year-old Vietnamese national, sustained severe cuts on her right arm when it got caught in a device for positioning bread dough at Shany’s Daegu facility located in Nongong-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu. She was taken to a medical institution.

Law enforcement officials are examining if the company neglected its duties regarding safety protocols, with allegations of professional misconduct leading to harm. Additionally, labor regulators are looking into possible breaches of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

This isn't the first safety-related incident at an SPC Group subsidiary facility. In 2022, a young employee in his 20s was killed in a compression accident at SPL's Pyeongtaek plant. The next year, a worker in his 50s passed away due to a comparable occurrence at Shany's Seongnam factory. A few months ago, yet another individual in his 50s lost his life at Samlip's Sihwa factory.

In April of this year, two employees—one in their 20s and one in their 30s—lost portions of their fingers while employed at Samlip’s Sihwa facility. At that moment, President Lee Jae Myung directed an immediate inquiry during a government session, prompting law enforcement to establish a specialized unit. Last month, the Sihwa plant underwent a recent raid and inspection.

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Male Civil Servants Outpace Females in Parental Leave for First Time

For the first time, the count of male government employees who utilized parental leave last year went beyond that of their female counterparts. Additionally, the number of women working at Grade 3 within the organization also crossed the 200 mark for the first time.

As per the "2025 Administrative Branch National Civil Service Personnel Statistics" published by the Ministry of Personnel Management on the 11th, a total of 19,105 national civil servants utilized parental leave during the previous year, with 10,704 (or 56.0%) being men and 8,401 women.

For the first time since the implementation of the civil service parental leave policy in 1994, more men have utilized the benefit than women. In 2016, males accounted for just 18.9%, yet this share gradually rose to 29.0% in 2018, 39.0% in 2020, 46.0% in 2022, and reached an equal percentage with females at 50.0% in 2024.

By the end of last year, there were 1,469 senior government officials, with 210 (or 14.3%) being women. In the following level, known as Grade 3, there were 913 employees, 205 of whom (22.5%) were female. This marks the initial instance where the count of women in Grade 3 surpassed 200. The percentage of women within both the higher-level administrative positions and Grade 3 continues to grow each year.

Last year, the overall count of national government employees reached 764,336, reflecting a rise of 872 (or 0.1%) compared to the prior year. This included 126 individuals holding appointed roles such as the President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, ministers, and deputy ministers; 183,778 regular public officials; and 580,016 personnel serving in specialized posts. Within these special categories, education-related staff formed the largest group with 364,106 members, followed by law enforcement officers with 144,547, firefighters comprising 67,071, diplomatic representatives totaling 2,194, and prosecutors amounting to 2,098.

Female employees made up 49.0% of the total number of national government workers, which amounts to 374,748 individuals. Between 2017 and 2019, the percentage of women surpassed 50%, but it decreased slightly to 47.9% in 2020 after firefighters—whose workforce typically includes more men—were transitioned into the category of national civil servants. Nevertheless, the share of females has risen each year thereafter.

Last year, 13,651 national government employees chose to retire voluntarily, encompassing both early retirees and those who resigned, marking a drop of 3,641 compared to 17,292 in the prior year. The Ministry of Personnel Management noted, "It is believed this outcome stems from collaborative initiatives aimed at improving workplace environments via better work-life integration and innovations in public sector culture, along with measures designed to boost compensation, like raising basic salaries and benefits for roles in practice, junior staff, and frontline officials."

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South Korea Jobs Fall 40K, Ending 17-Month Rise

Although there was a surge in semiconductors, the number of employees fell last month for the first time in 17 months because of ongoing impacts from the conflict in the Middle East, such as slow progress in manufacturing and construction.

As per the "May Employment Trends" published by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on the 11th, the total number of individuals aged 15 and above who were employed during the previous month stood at 29.12 million, representing a drop of 40,000 compared to the same period last year. This indicates the first reduction in job figures after 17 months, following a decline of 52,000 in December 2024. In this year, employment rose by 108,000 in January, grew beyond 200,000 in February and March, but later decreased by 74,000 in April.

The proportion of people aged 15 years and above who are employed compared to the total population stood at 63.3%, representing a decrease of 0.5 percentage points from the previous year’s corresponding period. This marks another month of reduction after a fall of 0.2 percentage points recorded in April.

◇Employment in the manufacturing industry fell by 140,000...the biggest drop since February 2019

Job numbers in the manufacturing industry, a vital sector, fell by 140,000 during the last year. This represents the 23rd straight month of reduction, with the pace of drop exceeding twice that of April (-55,000). The fall was the biggest seen since February 2019 (-151,000), which is the first such occurrence in 7 years and 3 months. Manufacturing relies heavily on energy sources like metals, fabrics, and chemical products. An individual from the data analysis team stated, "Jobs were lost particularly within the auto and rubber/plastic industries," noting, "Although exports have been boosted recently due to semiconductors, this area doesn’t contribute significantly to overall job figures."

Construction industry employment, influenced by rising material expenses, dropped by 43,000. Jobs in the wholesale/retail and hospitality/eating establishments industries, which are strongly linked to local consumption, fell by 17,000 from the previous year's figures.

◇The youth unemployment rate has been falling for more than two consecutive years

The unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 29 stood at 43.8%, representing a decrease of 2.4 percentage points compared to the same period last year. The youth jobless rate has continued to fall for 25 months starting from May 2024. This extended downturn marks the longest such trend since the prior high of 51 straight months between September 2005 and November 2009.

Persistent slow growth in job opportunities for young people is linked to the slowdown in major sectors including manufacturing and construction, businesses favoring candidates with prior experience, and lower recruitment rates caused by the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI). Indeed, jobs within the professional, scientific, and technical services industry—covering numerous professions like law, accounting, and architecture—fell by 89,000 during the past month when compared to the previous year’s figures. This represents the sixth straight month of reduction starting from December last year (-56,000).

Last month’s unemployment rate stood at 2.9%, an increase of 0.1 percentage point compared to the same period last year. This rise was mainly attributed to individuals aged 30s and 20s. The jobless rate among people in their 20s reached 7.1%, rising by 0.4 percentage points from the previous year, whereas the figure for those in their 30s climbed to 3.2%, marking an increase of 0.6 percentage points. According to the study, extended challenges in finding work during younger years have contributed to elevated unemployment figures among those entering their 30s, as many lacked sufficient professional background when transitioning into this age group.

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