Over 90% of People Have a Sense of Crisis Regarding the NEET Issue
— Nearly 90% of people think NEET will increase in Japan, and over 92% of respondents
said that the increase will strongly influence the society. —
said that the increase will strongly influence the society. —
November 1, 2004
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI: Tokyo; Akihisa
Fujinuma, President, CEO & COO) carried out an Internet questionnaire
regarding NEET (not in education, employment or training) issue from
October 18 to 20, 2004. The results showed that although the degree of
recognition of the term "NEET" is currently not very high (16.9%),
almost 87% believe NEET will increase in Japan, and that over 92% think
that the increase will significantly influence the society.
NEET is defined as people who are not looking for work, attending school or in job training programs. The White Paper on the Labour Economy published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in September 2004, calculated the number of young NEET accounted for under the definition "those among the non-labor force population, the number of non-working individuals between the ages of 15 and 34 (unmarried school graduates who neither help with the housework nor attend school)" as standing at an average of 520,000 in 2003; an increase of 40,000 persons over the previous year.
In the questionnaire responded to by 1,000 people, NRI inquired into the level of recognition of NEET, its influence on society, the cause of the increase, and measures that should be taken. The responses clarified the following points.
NEET is defined as people who are not looking for work, attending school or in job training programs. The White Paper on the Labour Economy published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in September 2004, calculated the number of young NEET accounted for under the definition "those among the non-labor force population, the number of non-working individuals between the ages of 15 and 34 (unmarried school graduates who neither help with the housework nor attend school)" as standing at an average of 520,000 in 2003; an increase of 40,000 persons over the previous year.
In the questionnaire responded to by 1,000 people, NRI inquired into the level of recognition of NEET, its influence on society, the cause of the increase, and measures that should be taken. The responses clarified the following points.
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Although the recognition level of the acronym "NEET" is currently a little below 17%, almost 87% of respondents think that NEET will increase in Japan. Recognition level was high among the younger group and low in the older group. |
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Over 92%, an extremely high percentage, responded that an increase in NEET is either "a very serious problem" or "a problem." |
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The awareness of crisis tended to increase as the age groups got higher. The percentage of those who responded that it was "a very serious problem" stood at 30% in the 20-24 year age group, but exceeded 66% among the over-60 age group. |
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As a cause of the increase in NEET, more respondents cited "economic circumstances such as recession" (64.9%) than those who cited "home" as the cause (55.5%). In regard to the influence the increase of NEET will have on the society, the group citing "collapse of the social security system" was largest (71.6%), reflecting a tendency to identify NEET in relation to the economic environment, employment and pension issues, among others. |
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In response to a question asking what should be done if there is a NEET among family members or friends, the highest response (62.5%) was "talk with the person thoroughly." "Leave it to his or her own will" (30.1%) and "exchange information with people who have the same problem and seek countermeasures" (29.8%) were also relatively high. On the other hand, the percentage of respondents answering that they would urge action from local public bodies and communities was low, at around 5%. |
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In response to a question about what is most important measure against an increase in NEET, many respondents cited "strengthening policies including vocational training and support for achievement of independence" (24.7%), which was second to the answer "review education at home" (38.6%). This indicates that although momentum to seek action from public bodies is relatively low, the recognition that political efforts are important was relatively high. |
The results of the questionnaire showed that many people think that in facing an increase in NEET it is important to first face this problem at home, while at the same time recognizing the necessity of efforts by the public sector, such as support for employment and individual independence, and that urgent social countermeasures are hoped for. Based on the results of the questionnaire, it is apparent that an increase in NEET is a significant social issue in Japan, and rather than viewing it from the perspective of labor and educational problems, it is vital to identify it as a structural problem in regards to public safety, economic policies and improvement of the social security system, and to work on it accordingly.
[For general inquiries, please contact:]
Takeshi Nomura
Corporate Communications Department
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.
Phone: +81-3-6270-8100
E-mail: kouhou@nri.co.jp
Takeshi Nomura
Corporate Communications Department
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd.
Phone: +81-3-6270-8100
E-mail: kouhou@nri.co.jp
[Reference]
Date of survey: October 18 – 20, 2004
Survey method: Internet questionnaire survey (infoQ)
Number of responses: 1,000
(for attributes and other details, refer to: http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/nr/pdf/nr20041101.pdf)
Date of survey: October 18 – 20, 2004
Survey method: Internet questionnaire survey (infoQ)
Number of responses: 1,000
(for attributes and other details, refer to: http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/nr/pdf/nr20041101.pdf)
Q1: Have you ever heard of the term "NEET"?
Q2: Do you think NEET will increase?
Q3: How do you feel about the increase in NEET over the past several years?
Q4: Where does the cause of the increase in NEET lie? (multiple choice)
Q5: What influence will the increase in NEET have on the society? (multiple choice)
Q6: What actions will you take if a family member or a friend is a NEET? (multiple choice)
Q7: What is the most vital measure to take toward NEET?
Inquiries:webmaster@nri.co.jp
Copyright(c) 2004 Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or republication without written permission.
Copyright(c) 2004 Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or republication without written permission.