Neo-NEETs in Jpan- Yuna Tsushima

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2009/07/19/editorials/neets-on-the-rise/#.U4ylQPnIbvw

 NEETs,which means people who are Not in Employment, Education or Training, have become one of the big problems in Japan. The word “NEETs” was born in UK and imported to Japan in 1990s, and is used daily by Japanese people now. In this article, the author argues that the problem is not only on the NEETs but also on the Japanese companies. Soon after the word “NEETs” came to Japan, the people who are not in employment, education or training were thought to be just lazy. But some NEETs are spoiled by their parents, have a difficulty on their physical or psychological condition, or simply they cannot find workplace. So the author says that while NEETs need to improve themselves, companies also should think about some improvement to recruit them.

 Actually, many of the NEETs have high education background, but they are not working. They live with their parents and get money to live from their parents. They have high pride and high expectation about jobs because of their high educational background, but Japan does not have enough good jobs for them.   After several years of having no job life, they almost give up their life. It is really difficult for Japanese people to get a good job after some empty years.    In the job interview, they will be asked about the vacant few years and they have no excuse. If it is revealed that they have just stayed at home and depended on their parents, they will be thought to be no good and failed person. And they cannot get the job. It is the problem in the very first step. Companies prefer healthy passion young people to recruit, so it is really important to get a good job at first step after graduation from schools.

Many people who graduated from University in the great recession in early 2000s became freeter or NEETs. It was the stereotype of Japanese NEETs that I described in the former paragraph.  But recently, new type of NEETs has appeared. They are called Neo-NEETs. They tend to enjoy their NEETs life and they don’t live with their parents. They have many friends and even earn money. But they are not engaged in specific work and that is why we clarify them as NEETs. Even though they are enjoying their life, they don’t have their own work. And without specific and steady job, it is difficult to get married and have children. While many Japanese students are afraid to be NEETs, some high educated students don’t try to get job and just live freely. They are a kind of new generation in Japan. The problem is that they don’t contribute to Japanese society as much as normal workers do. We have duty to work and pay taxes. If this type of people increases, we don’t know what will happen to Japanese society. They will threat Japanese economy or create new society.