Labor Shortages Grow at Small Companies in Japan

Tokyo, June 29 (Jiji Press)--An increasing number of small and midsize companies in Japan are suffering labor shortages, a private-sector survey showed Wednesday. The survey by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed 55.6 pct of such firms face labor shortages this year, up 5.3 percentage points from a year before. By industry, 79.8 pct of accommodation and food service companies face manpower shortages, followed by 77.5 pct in nursing services, 72.3 pct in transportation and 63.3 pct in construction. By workforce size, 60.6 pct of companies with 51 to 100 employees suffer labor shortages. The percentage was 65.5 pct for those with 101 to 300 employees and 73.3 pct for those with 301 and over, suggesting that larger companies tend to be more affected. Among companies facing labor shortages, 69.0 pct said they want workers with certain levels of work experience. High school graduates were wanted by 41.2 pct of the companies and college graduates by 33.0 pct, indicating that such companies prefer work-ready employees. The survey was conducted from April to last month and covered 4,072 firms. Of them, 2,405 gave valid responses.Copyright JIJI PRESS LTD.