The 2006 white paper on labor and the economy focuses on the rising number of irregularly employed workers, such as part-timers and temporary workers from agencies, and the widening gap in income between regularly and irregularly employed workers. If this gap grows and becomes fixed, society as a whole will suffer, as the number of low-income people relying on welfare will inevitably increase.
The deregulation of the labor market and enterprises' efforts to decrease production costs and improve competitiveness in a harsh economic environment have led to the increase in the number of irregular employees. In 1996, about one-fifth of the total workforce was irregular. But in 2005, these employees accounted for about one-third of the total workforce -- 15.9 million of 49.2 million. Their number reached 16.6 million in 2006.
Some workers welcome the spread of irregular employment because it has allowed them to pursue lifestyles different from those of regular employees. It also has helped women and elderly people to land jobs. But many irregular employees consist of those who were unable to get desired work during the recessionary economy that lasted from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. They suffer not only from low salaries but also from unstable employment conditions.