Fears for Japan's 'dropout' generation

The number of Japanese youth lacking motivation to study or work is growing at an alarming pace, fuelling fears of future labour shortages in a nation with one of the lowest birthrates in the world.

Some 850,000 people aged 15 to 34 are believed to be neither in school nor employed as of October 2002, according to a national survey released by the Cabinet Office.

The number of such people – known as NEETS (not in education, employment or training) – has jumped 27% from 670,000 in 1992, the office says.

“Many young people seem to have lost motivation to get a job,” said Hiroshi Ito, an official at the Cabinet Office’s youth section. “We must find ways to get them to regain motivation and return to society.”

About 425,000 had tried but failed to find jobs or enter schools, while the other half simply made no effort to seek economic independence, he said.

Japan’s population has grown increasingly older in recent decades as work demands, a shortage of daycare and the high cost of education have caused couples to opt for fewer children, resulting in an average birthrate of just 1.29 children per woman – among the lowest in the world.

Demographers have predicted the population in one of the world’s fastest-greying countries could peak at about 127.7 million next year and fall rapidly over the next 50 years to roughly 100 million.

The prospect of a declining population has caused concern that young workers will not generate enough taxes to care for the burgeoning number of elderly people.