TOKYO: The number of workers in Japan who were fired or had their employment contracts not renewed, or are expected to suffer such fates stood at 10,835 as of Thursday, labor minister Katsunobu Kato said Friday.

The number of such people "is increasing day by day," Kato told a press conference, noting that the daily number has topped 1,000 recently.

Kato showed his ministry's plan to expand employment adjustment subsidies given to firms that put workers on temporary paid leave and take other measures, in order to prevent a further rise in unemployment.

According to the ministry, the number of people who lost jobs due to dismissal or their employment contract not being renewed stood at 282 in February, 835 in March, 2,654 in April and 7,064 in the first 21 days of May.

Many of them were in the accommodation, road passenger transport, restaurant and manufacturing sectors, the ministry said.

The government plans to almost double the ceiling on the employment adjustment subsidies to 15,000 yen per day per worker and provide cash benefits directly to workers who are not paid leave allowances by their employers.

It will earmark funds for the measures under its second supplementary budget for fiscal 2020, seen to be compiled soon.

JIJI Press