内定率急落―ロスジェネを再び作るな

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 20(IHT/Asahi: November 21,2009)
EDITORIAL: Job market for students
内定率急落―ロスジェネを再び作るな
 
As of early October, nearly 40 percent of university seniors seeking jobs after they graduate in March had no offers of employment, according to a government survey.
　木枯らしの中、まだ就職活動を続ける大学４年生が多くいる。１０月初めの段階では、就職希望者の４割近くが内定を得られていなかったという。

The percentage of those who secured job offers dropped nearly to the level of 2003, the peak of extreme job scarcity dubbed the "employment ice age."
　内定率は「就職氷河期」さなかの０３年ごろの水準まで落ち込んだ。

Companies that have reduced the number of new hires have apparently become more selective amid the uncertain economic outlook. The situation is also serious for students who will graduate from high school.
景気の行方が定まらない状況で、企業が採用予定数を絞ったうえ、人材を厳選しようとしている表れだろう。高校生の内定率も同様に深刻だ。

From around 1995 to 2005, companies curbed their recruitment of new graduates as regular employees and replaced them with nonregular workers.
　企業は９５年から０５年ごろにかけて新卒者の採用を抑え、非正規の労働力に置き換えた。

Young people who could not land permanent jobs on graduation had no choice but to continue to work as dispatch workers or so-called freeters without acquiring skills. Since their income is unstable, such workers are hesitant to get married or start a family. Seriously hit by the financial crisis that started last year, many people lost their jobs and homes at the same time.
正社員になれなかった人は、技能を身につけられぬまま派遣やフリーターを続けざるを得なかった。収入が不安定なため、家族や子どもを持つこともためらってしまう。昨年の金融危機の直撃で、職と住まいを失った人も少なくなかった。

How to support these young people of "the lost generation" has become a weighty social problem. To prevent a recurrence of the situation, the government should do whatever it can to support job-seeking students toward next spring.
　そうした「ロストジェネレーション」と呼ばれる世代をどう支えてゆくかは、いま社会の重い課題になっている。その轍（てつ）を踏まないためにも、来春に向けた就職支援にできるだけの手を打つべきだ。

The government's task force for emergency job measures has taken action for would-be graduates and is calling on business organizations to expand employment. However, companies are also crying for help, saying they already face difficulties maintaining current payrolls.
　政府の緊急雇用対策本部は、新卒者の支援策に乗り出し、経済団体に採用の拡大を呼びかけている。ところが企業からは、現状の雇用を守るだけでも精いっぱいだとの悲鳴が聞こえる。

But there must be industries suffering from a labor shortage as well as medium-sized and small businesses that are eager to hire. Perhaps this is a chance for students to look at new areas of growth potential rather than seeking stable employment at major companies.
　人手不足に悩む業種や、採用意欲が高い中小企業もあるはずだ。学生にとっては安定志向で大企業を狙うより、新しい成長分野に目を向けるチャンスかもしれない。

Hello Work public job placement offices, universities and other schools should tie up to find job offers in local communities and create more opportunities to bring employers and students together.
ハローワークと学校が連携して地域の求人を掘り起こす。学生とのマッチングの機会を増やす。そんな工夫を重ねてほしい。

There is another problem that must be addressed on a long-term basis. It is the corporate practice of hiring new graduates en masse only once a year in spring. We wonder if the practice will remain effective.
　その上で、長い目で考えるべき課題がある。企業が毎春、新卒者をまとめて採用する慣行が、もはや限界に来ているのではないかということだ。

This hiring practice only worked when the economy grew steadily and companies trained workers under the lifetime employment system. Now, each time the economy slumps, many regular workers lose their jobs, which increases instability in the labor market.
　経済成長が続き、企業が終身雇用のもと人材育成を引き受けていたからこそ成り立ってきたシステムだ。今のように景気が悪くなるたび正社員枠からあふれた不安定雇用層が生まれ、将来にまで固定化される構造は、社会の活力維持のためにも望ましくない。

We are now in an age in which diversified talent is sought. However, under the current hiring practice, job-seeking students and prospective employers have only one opportunity to meet, upon the students' graduation.
　多様な人材が求められる時代である。学生、企業の双方にとって、就職・採用の機会は新卒時の１回だけで十分といえるだろうか。

Mid-career and year-round hiring should be expanded so that students who graduated earlier can repeatedly apply for regular positions. A system is also needed to help young unemployed people acquire skills and techniques so that they can continue to apply for jobs.
　卒業後、何度も正社員にトライできるよう、中途採用や通年採用を広げたい。仕事に就いていない若者が技術や技能を身につけ、挑戦を続けられるような支援の仕組みも必要だろう。

During economic downturns, the practice of hiring new graduates en masse causes a serious distortion in university education.
　不況下の新卒一括採用は、大学教育にも大きなひずみをもたらしている。

Companies are moving up the timing of recruitment to secure competent students. This has caused anxious students to scurry and attend job-briefing sessions and interviews, which eats away the time of students who should be devoted to learning.
　企業はよりよい人材を求めて採用活動の開始を早め、不安にかられた学生は説明会や面接に奔走する。

If such activities undermine students' potential as competent workers, it would be tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.
就職活動に学業の時間がすりつぶされている。その結果、人材としての力が損なわれては本末転倒ではないか。