Freeters
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
expression for people between the ages of 15 and 34 who lack full time employment or are unemployed, excluding housewives
and students. The term originally included young people who deliberately chose not to become salary-men
, even though jobs were available at the time.
Freeters may also be described as underemployed or freelance workers. These people do not start a career after high school or university, but instead earn money from low skilled and low paid jobs. The low income makes it difficult for freeters to start a family, and the lack of qualifications makes it difficult to start a career at a later point in life. Freeters have sometimes been described as people pursuing their dreams and trying to live life to the fullest.
The word freeter or freeta was first used around 1987 or 1988 and is thought to be an portmanteau of the English word free (or perhaps freelance) and the German
word Arbeiter ("labourer"). Another possibility is a shortening of freeloader, furee-ro-da to furi-da. Arubaito is a Japanese loanword
from German. As German (along with English) was used (especially for science and medicine) in Japanese universities before World War II
, Arubaito became common among students to describe part time work for university students.
From 2000–2009, the number of freeters increased rapidly. In 1982 there were an estimated 0.5 million freeters in Japan, 0.8 million in 1987, 1.01 million in 1992 and 1.5 million in 1997. The number for 2001 is 4.17 million freeters according to one estimate, and 2 million in 2002 according to another estimate. According to some estimates, there will be 10 million freeters in Japan by 2014.
Many Japanese people worry about the future impact of freeters on society. If they work at all, freeters often work at convenience stores, supermarkets, fast food outlets, restaurants, and other low paying, low skill jobs. According to a survey by the Japan Institute of Labor in 2000, the average freeter works 4.9 days per week and earns ¥139,000 per month (ca. $1,300 U.S.). Two thirds of freeters have never had a regular, full time job.
The rise of internet business has allowed some freeters to work from home and be self-employed.
Some experts predict that Japan's aging population
will create a labor shortage that will increase career options for freeters.
of the Japanese work environment
. The dream pursuing type has specific dreams incompatible with a standard Japanese career. The no alternative type cannot find a good job after leaving school or university, and is forced to take low paying jobs. This usually has to do with their dropout
status from previous educational institutes. Those who dropped out of high school have the worst prospects.
. Parents in Japan usually do not force their offspring out of the house. Once the parents die, the children will have to pay for their housing themselves. Even if they inherit the house or apartment, they still have to bear the costs of ownership.
Japanese housing
is compact, and is too small for two families. If freeters want to marry they have to find their own housing, usually at their own expense.
Some freeters move into a friend's apartment or house, and share rent and expenses. Other freeters who don't have enough money, may buy a tent and sleeping bag, becoming campers. A few freeters buy building materials such as bricks and concrete to erect a small house on cheap land, especially in areas where the building codes are not strict or not well enforced. Some save up money to buy a cheap metal shed, normally used for storage, and a portable plastic outhouse
. These former freeters choose a lower standard of living to gain independence from their parents. However, the areas with such lax building codes are usually too far from job sites.
Often the only option left for freeters is to continue working at low income part time jobs, making it difficult to establish their own household. Some join the many homeless
in Japan.
Women over 30 often find it difficult to get a man to marry them.
Male freeters are less desired as husbands because they have little money. Many male freeters hope to start their careers later in life, when they are ready to support a family.
The biggest problem for freeters is that the Japanese pension system is based on the number of years a person has paid into the system. The freeter usually has little or no pension insurance or savings, which may force him or her to work beyond the usual retirement age.
Japan faces the problem of an aging population. The pension system will be under increasing strain as the ratio of pensioners to workers increases.
While they are young, freeters commonly live with their parents and have disposable income
that would otherwise go towards rent. Their spending helps the manufacturing sector of the Japanese economy
.
By living in the same house as their parents and often not owning a car, freeters have a much lower impact on the natural environment than "high consumption" members of society owning cars.
Large numbers of workers trying to start careers in their thirties may have a significant impact on the current corporate culture of Japan. It may change hiring and employment practices, particularly since demographers predict a future labor shortage due to the nation's aging population.
Many male freeters have difficulties marrying because of their low income. They may thus have children later in life, or not at all. This will further reduce the low birth rate in Japan and compound social and economic problems related to the aging population, such as underfunding of the Japanese pension system
. As of today, freeters pay little or no money into the pension system. The situation could become even worse in the future as more people become freeters, the ratio of workers to pensioners decreases, and the current pension policies around the world stay the same.
The Japanese government has established a number of offices called Young Support Plaza to help young people find jobs. These offices offer basic training for job hunting: teaching young people how to write a résumé
, and how to behave themselves during interviews. The demand for their services has been fairly low so far.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
expression for people between the ages of 15 and 34 who lack full time employment or are unemployed, excluding housewives
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
and students. The term originally included young people who deliberately chose not to become salary-men
Salaryman
refers to someone whose income is salary based; particularly those working for corporations. Its frequent use by Japanese corporations, and its prevalence in Japanese manga and anime has gradually led to its acceptance in English-speaking countries as a noun for a Japanese white-collar...
, even though jobs were available at the time.
Freeters may also be described as underemployed or freelance workers. These people do not start a career after high school or university, but instead earn money from low skilled and low paid jobs. The low income makes it difficult for freeters to start a family, and the lack of qualifications makes it difficult to start a career at a later point in life. Freeters have sometimes been described as people pursuing their dreams and trying to live life to the fullest.
The word freeter or freeta was first used around 1987 or 1988 and is thought to be an portmanteau of the English word free (or perhaps freelance) and the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word Arbeiter ("labourer"). Another possibility is a shortening of freeloader, furee-ro-da to furi-da. Arubaito is a Japanese loanword
Gairaigo
Gairaigo is Japanese for "loan word" or "borrowed word", and indicates a transliteration into Japanese. In particular, the word usually refers to a Japanese word of foreign origin that was not borrowed from Chinese, primarily from English. Japanese also has a large number of loan words from...
from German. As German (along with English) was used (especially for science and medicine) in Japanese universities before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Arubaito became common among students to describe part time work for university students.
Current situation
About 10% of high school and university graduates could not find steady employment in the spring of 2000, and a full 50% of those who could find a job left within 3 years after employment. The employment situation is worst for the youngest freeters.From 2000–2009, the number of freeters increased rapidly. In 1982 there were an estimated 0.5 million freeters in Japan, 0.8 million in 1987, 1.01 million in 1992 and 1.5 million in 1997. The number for 2001 is 4.17 million freeters according to one estimate, and 2 million in 2002 according to another estimate. According to some estimates, there will be 10 million freeters in Japan by 2014.
Many Japanese people worry about the future impact of freeters on society. If they work at all, freeters often work at convenience stores, supermarkets, fast food outlets, restaurants, and other low paying, low skill jobs. According to a survey by the Japan Institute of Labor in 2000, the average freeter works 4.9 days per week and earns ¥139,000 per month (ca. $1,300 U.S.). Two thirds of freeters have never had a regular, full time job.
The rise of internet business has allowed some freeters to work from home and be self-employed.
Some experts predict that Japan's aging population
Aging of Japan
The ageing of Japan outweighs all other nations with the highest proportion of elderly citizens, 21% over the age of 65. In 1989, only 11.6% of the population was 65 years or older, but projections were that 25.6% would be in that age category by 2030...
will create a labor shortage that will increase career options for freeters.
Causes
The Japan Institute of Labor classifies freeter into three groups: the moratorium type that wants to wait before starting a career, the dream pursuing type, and the no alternative type. The moratorium type of freeter wants to enjoy life, and deliberately chooses not to join the rat raceRat Race
A rat race is a term used for an endless, self-defeating or pointless pursuit. It conjures up the image of the futile efforts of a lab rat trying to escape while running around a maze or in a wheel...
of the Japanese work environment
Japanese work environment
Many both in and outside of Japan share an image of the Japanese work environment that is based on a lifetime-employment model used by large companies as well as a reputation of long work-hours and strong devotion to one's company...
. The dream pursuing type has specific dreams incompatible with a standard Japanese career. The no alternative type cannot find a good job after leaving school or university, and is forced to take low paying jobs. This usually has to do with their dropout
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
status from previous educational institutes. Those who dropped out of high school have the worst prospects.
Difficulties starting their own household
Many freeters live for free with their parents as parasite singlesParasite singles
Parasite single is a Japanese term for a single person who lives with their parents until their late twenties or early thirties in order to enjoy a carefree and comfortable life...
. Parents in Japan usually do not force their offspring out of the house. Once the parents die, the children will have to pay for their housing themselves. Even if they inherit the house or apartment, they still have to bear the costs of ownership.
Japanese housing
Housing in Japan
Housing in Japan includes modern and traditional styles. Two patterns of residences are predominant in contemporary Japan: the single-family detached house and the multiple-unit building, either owned by an individual or corporation and rented as apartments to tenants, or owned by occupants...
is compact, and is too small for two families. If freeters want to marry they have to find their own housing, usually at their own expense.
Some freeters move into a friend's apartment or house, and share rent and expenses. Other freeters who don't have enough money, may buy a tent and sleeping bag, becoming campers. A few freeters buy building materials such as bricks and concrete to erect a small house on cheap land, especially in areas where the building codes are not strict or not well enforced. Some save up money to buy a cheap metal shed, normally used for storage, and a portable plastic outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
. These former freeters choose a lower standard of living to gain independence from their parents. However, the areas with such lax building codes are usually too far from job sites.
Difficulties starting a career
Starting a career becomes more difficult the longer somebody is a freeter, as Japanese companies prefer to hire new workers fresh out of high school or university. While the employment situation is changing, large traditional companies still see a new employee as a lifetime investment. They much prefer to hire a young person who offers a longer period of service, and who will be easier to mold.Often the only option left for freeters is to continue working at low income part time jobs, making it difficult to establish their own household. Some join the many homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
in Japan.
Marriage option
A female freeter has the possibility to catch a husband with a career and to become a housewife.Women over 30 often find it difficult to get a man to marry them.
Male freeters are less desired as husbands because they have little money. Many male freeters hope to start their careers later in life, when they are ready to support a family.
Health and pension insurance
Part time jobs usually do not include any health or retirement benefits. Freeters' low income makes payment of medical expenses onerous.The biggest problem for freeters is that the Japanese pension system is based on the number of years a person has paid into the system. The freeter usually has little or no pension insurance or savings, which may force him or her to work beyond the usual retirement age.
Japan faces the problem of an aging population. The pension system will be under increasing strain as the ratio of pensioners to workers increases.
Freedom of choice
The advantage of being a freeter is that one has more freedom of choice, and more time for hobbies, volunteering, and community service. If they are living with their parents, they can spend their entire income on themselves. They might be able to realize their dreams more than a career employee with little time, at least while they are young.Effect on Japanese society
Freeters lack the benefits of union membership, which gives strong legal protection against firing.While they are young, freeters commonly live with their parents and have disposable income
Disposable income
Disposable income is total personal income minus personal current taxes. In national accounts definitions, personal income, minus personal current taxes equals disposable personal income...
that would otherwise go towards rent. Their spending helps the manufacturing sector of the Japanese economy
Economy of Japan
The economy of Japan, a free market economy, is the third largest in the world after the United States and the People's Republic of China, and ahead of Germany at 4th...
.
By living in the same house as their parents and often not owning a car, freeters have a much lower impact on the natural environment than "high consumption" members of society owning cars.
Large numbers of workers trying to start careers in their thirties may have a significant impact on the current corporate culture of Japan. It may change hiring and employment practices, particularly since demographers predict a future labor shortage due to the nation's aging population.
Many male freeters have difficulties marrying because of their low income. They may thus have children later in life, or not at all. This will further reduce the low birth rate in Japan and compound social and economic problems related to the aging population, such as underfunding of the Japanese pension system
National Pension (Japan)
The Japanese national pension is a pension system that all registered residents of Japan, both Japanese and foreign, are required to enroll in. Since January 1, 2010 it has been managed by the Japan Pension Service.-History:...
. As of today, freeters pay little or no money into the pension system. The situation could become even worse in the future as more people become freeters, the ratio of workers to pensioners decreases, and the current pension policies around the world stay the same.
The Japanese government has established a number of offices called Young Support Plaza to help young people find jobs. These offices offer basic training for job hunting: teaching young people how to write a résumé
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
, and how to behave themselves during interviews. The demand for their services has been fairly low so far.
See also
- NEETNEETNEET is a government acronym for people currently "not in education, employment, or training". It was first used in the United Kingdom but its use has spread to other countries, including Japan, China, and South Korea...
- Parasite single
- TwixterTwixterTwixter is a neologism that describes a new generation of Americans who are trapped, in a sense, betwixt adolescence and adulthood. This Western neologism is somewhat analogous to the Japanese term parasite single.-Behavior:...
- Boomerang GenerationBoomerang GenerationBoomerang Generation is one of several terms applied to the current generation of young adults in Western culture. They are so named for the frequency with which they choose to cohabitate with their parents after a brief period of living on their own–thus boomeranging back to their place of origin...
- HikikomoriHikikomoriis a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive people who have chosen to withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement because of various personal and social factors in their lives...
- WaithoodWaithoodWaithood refers to the period of stagnation in the lives of young unemployed college graduates in the Middle East and North Africa region, described as "a kind of prolonged adolescence"....
- SalarymanSalarymanrefers to someone whose income is salary based; particularly those working for corporations. Its frequent use by Japanese corporations, and its prevalence in Japanese manga and anime has gradually led to its acceptance in English-speaking countries as a noun for a Japanese white-collar...
- Education in JapanEducation in JapanIn Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Approximately 98% of all students progress to the upper secondary level, which is voluntary . Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper...
- List of gairaigo and wasei-eigo terms