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Japan NEET Population Sees a Decrease for 2nd Year
posted on by Carlos Cadorniga
The NEETs of Japan are continuing to shrink in number.
As of 2015, the population of NEETs has gone down by 30,000 and now total about 560,000, according to a recent government cabinet meeting. This marks the second consecutive annual decrease among the number of NEETs in Japan. Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications estimated the number was near 630,000 in December 2012, with women making up almost 40% of the total NEET population (230,000).
Consequently, the unemployment rate in Japan among people 20-24 years of age is currently 6.3 percent while the unemployment rate for those 25-29 years of age is 5.2 percent. This is the lowest the unemployment rate has been among these groups since 1997.
The term "NEET" is an acronym that means "Not in Education, Employment, or Training." While the the term first originated from the United Kingdom, its usage eventually made its way to Japan.
A few of the many anime that reference the NEET population include 2009's Eden of the East—where the titular fictional social networking site was conceptualized as a paradise for NEETs, and 2014's No Game, No Life—where the main protagonists themselves are self-proclaimed NEETs sucked into a world of gaming.
An entire board game mimicking the popular Life game but replaced with NEET-related themes debuted last year. An Akihabara rental service would let individuals hang out with a NEET for 1,000 yen (9.75 USD) for one hour.
[Via Hachima Kikō]
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