Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on employment and suggested countermeasures
－A package to counter the risk of 450,000-650,000 job losses－

Two months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, more than 100,000 people are still living in evacuation shelters and their lives must now be restored to normal as soon as possible. In this context, one of the most important issues is securing employment that will allow these people to earn a living, and the rebuilding of the industries that will provide this employment.

The impact of the earthquake on employment and industry has not been limited to the disaster area. Production activity has been held up around the country by the interruption of supply chains. The nuclear accident has led to a severe shortage of electric power in the Kanto region and rumors concerning the accident have even damaged the tourist industry as far afield as Kyushu. The impact in these regions away from the disaster area has also been severe, and a major blow to employment is inevitable.

Given these circumstances, this report begins by reviewing the wide-ranging impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on employment. It then proposes short-term and medium-term countermeasures relating to the issues that must be addressed in order to regenerate employment, centering on measures to be implemented in the disaster area, which has suffered catastrophic damage.