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Japanese companies are scouring the country for workers and offering more attractive permanent contracts as they struggle to overcome the worst labour shortages in 40 years.
日本企业正在国内四处搜罗工人，并提供更有吸引力的终身制雇佣合同。这些企业正努力克服40年来最严重的劳动力短缺。
Companies across a range of sectors — from construction to aged care — have warned in recent days that a lack of staff is starting to hit their business.
从建筑业到老年护理行业等多个行业的日本企业近日都警告称，用工短缺正开始影响它们的业务。
The hiring difficulties highlight Japan’s declining population and the strength of its economy after five years of economic stimulus under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
日本企业用工难凸显出该国人口的萎缩，也凸显出日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)实施经济刺激5年后其经济的强劲势头。
“Delays to construction projects are becoming chronic,” said Motohiro Nagashima, president of Toli Corporation, one of Japan’s biggest makers of floor coverings.
日本最大地材制造商之一东理株式会社(Toli Corporation)总经理永嶋元博(Motohiro Nagashima)表示：“工期推迟正变成一个长期性问题。”
Announcing first-half results, he said that sales fell 1 per cent instead of the company’s projected 2 per cent rise, because widespread shortages of construction workers were delaying office and commercial projects in the Tokyo area.
在宣布今年上半年业绩时，永嶋表示，公司原本预期在此期间销售额将上升2%，但实际上销售额反而下降了1%，原因是建筑工人的普遍短缺使东京地区的办公楼和商用项目工期推迟。
One way companies are tackling shortages is by offering more generous permanent contracts, which provide job security and pension benefits. That policy has broken a decades-long trend towards more part-time and contract work.
日本企业应对用工短缺的一种方法是提供更优渥的终身制雇佣合同，合同提供工作保障和养老金福利。这种策略打破了日本10年来倾向于提供更多兼职和合同工作的趋势。
Panasonic Age Free, a division of the electronics company that provides social care, last week offered permanent contracts to all the staff at its hundreds of homes and daycare centres.
电子公司松下(Panasonic)旗下提供社会化护理服务的公司Panasonic Age Free上周为其数百家家庭护理和日间护理中心的所有员工提供了终身制雇佣合同。
The company has 1,500 staff on six-month contracts, but from April next year those with a year of service will be eligible to become permanent employees with pensions, bonuses and a guaranteed job until retirement.
该公司有1500名员工签订的是6个月的合同，但从明年4月起，那些在该公司工作达1年的员工有资格转为终身制员工，享受养老金、奖金和可在该公司工作到退休的工作保障条款。
Staff shortages are especially acute in elderly care as rapid growth in demand collides with the tight labour market. The company said it hoped to offset higher staff costs with lower spending on recruitment.
由于老年护理行业用工需求的快速增长与紧张的劳动力市场相互冲突，这个领域的用工短缺尤为严重。Panasonic Age Free表示，希望能够通过降低招聘支出来抵消员工成本的上升。
“By reforming conditions, we want to hold on to part-time staff and get our leaving rate down to the low 10 per cent range within two or three years,” Eiichi Katayama, executive officer, told broadcaster NHK.
该公司社长片山荣一(Eiichi Katayama)对广播电视机构日本放送协会(NHK)说：“我们希望通过改革工作条件来留住兼职员工，在两三年内将我们的离职率降至10%出头的水平。”
Oriental Land, which operates Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea, warned earlier this year that it was struggling to find staff to run its restaurants and rides. “Hiring is going to get harder and harder,” said Akinobu Yokota, a company executive. The group said last week it was now operating normally.
运营东京迪士尼乐园(Tokyo Disneyland)和东京迪士尼海洋(Toyko Disney Sea)的Oriental Land今年早些时候警告称，该公司难以招募运营园内餐厅和游乐项目的员工。该公司高管Akinobu Yokota说：“招人变得越来越难。”上周该公司表示目前运营正常。
The way companies are responding — using every means other than wage increases — suggests that shortages will not yet turn into higher inflation.
日本企业对于用工短缺的应对方式——采取除了涨薪以外的所有手段——表明这种用工短缺还不会转化为更高的通胀。
Irregular work has risen relentlessly from about 19 per cent of total employment when Japan’s bubble burst in 1990, to a peak of 37.9 per cent in 2015.
在日本，非固定工作在总就业中的比例从1990年日本经济泡沫破裂时的约19%不断上升，到2015年达到了37.9%的峰值。
But there are now signs of stabilisation, with the percentage of irregular staff falling to 37.4 per cent in the third quarter of this year.
但这一比例现在有趋稳的迹象，今年第三季度非固定工作雇员的比例降至37.4%。
