Louise Bremner wrote:
> Medgya <medgyadal@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Dec 9, 9:34 am, "John W." <worthj1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I've thought this for some time. Most people I know stay because of
>>> the social pressure or the overtime pay, or a combination of both.
>> Yes, I think that's about it, and it's fascinating to watch. At my own
>> company it's all social pressure, since they have devised effective
>> social means to prevent people from requesting overtime pay. I suppose
>> that, if there is to be any rebellion, it would start with (gasp)
>> people leaving on time. Or in the case of some younger people these
>> days, never signing on for the full-time salaryman/OL life at all.
> 
> Hence the rising numbers of freeters? (Are there any stats on those? Or
> is it all vague arm-waving?)

Yes, I'd like to know, too.  In the reports I prepare for foreign 
clients, I've been blaming Keidanren for having no standards and 
promoting the expansion of the cheap labor pool by making full-time 
employment increasingly unobtainable.

> I think that, if I'd've been faced with such a choice, I'd've gone
> freeter myself....

There are many reasons for wanting to be a freeter.  Unfortunately for 
Japan, they are dangerously close to the reasons for emigrating.

-- 
CL