The Institution of Lifetime Employment in Japan
Uploaded by spootyhead on Feb 19, 2007
The Institution of Lifetime Employment in Japan
Lifetime employment in Japan has long been regarded as one of the stereotypical features in the Japanese workplace. Our readings have shown us varying degrees of lifetime employment’s viability as an institution in different work environments and social classes. Exemplified through ethnographies about line workers at Yusumi Motors and the Azumi lingerie factory, the office ladies and salaried men in a Japanese bank, and the social elite of Japan’s doozoku geisha, it can be seen that there are elements of lifetime employment in each example as well as some important biases and inconsistencies in each.
At Yusumi Motors, Joshua Roth’s study was to examine how the factory ran and what it was like to be a foreign working alongside the Japanese. Studying the relationship between foreign and domestic workers on the line at Yusumi gives us some insight into the validity of a lifetime employment system in Japan. It is important to mention here that this study contains some biases as it is a narrow view of only one company and hence may not be reflective of all Japanese workplaces. It is also important to note again that Roth’s study is on the work and workers of the factory and not lifetime employment. Speculation on lifetime employment at Yusumi may not be completely representative of the system. Another bias of importance is that Roth came to Yusumi as an outsider, where there are a lot of foreign workers whom are not typically brought on to stay till retirement. This could affect Roth’s views on Yusumi as a lifetime employer.
As Roth explains in his piece, lifetime employment systems in Japan have been waning as a result of the Japanese financial crisis. Companies seek to hire cheaper labor often found by bringing in foreign workers and day-laborers, which reflects a shift in the traditional commitment a Japanese company has towards its employees. As these workers are not necessarily long-term investments for the company, they do not receive the typical incentives to stay on for lifetime employment. At Yusumi this was evident.
Recent economic difficulties in Japan have led to an influx of foreign and guest workers in places like Yusumi. Immigrant workers create cheap and expendable labor. What this meant at Yusumi in terms of lifetime employment was that foreign and Japanese workers became distinguished. Jobs that foreigners took became associated with unacceptable work for the...