GIFU PREFECTURE — With the shuttering of a factory belonging to a Sony subsidiary in Minokamo City at the end of this month, it became clear on the 27th that more than 1,000 people stood to be out of work on April 1 due to the closure.


As of March 16 the plant directly employed 200 to 300 regular workers and it is estimated another 370 or so are employed by seven outside contractors undertaking manufacturing work. Furthermore, according to the Gifu prefectural labor bureau, there are more than 500 former plant employees making use of public job-placement offices within the prefecture who have yet to find new jobs.

The prefecture’s labor and employment department noted, “This is the largest one-time loss of employment the prefecture has ever suffered.” In addition to implementing emergency job creation projects, the prefecture is planning to offer unemployed workers vocational training starting in May.

It looks like the carnage continues each day in the land of the rising setting sun.

Source: MSN News