Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 1(1), 2009, pp.17–21

HAVE NEET S BECOME AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUE IN ASIAN COUNTRIES? ELLIE K. LIANG (communicated by Vikki Bo, Stephanie Huang and Terry Zhang) Abstract This paper aims at analyzing Chinese NEET group (Not currently engaged in Employment, Education or Training) and Japanese NEET group in order to prove that NEET Group has become an important social issue in Asian countries. The paper introduces NEET group in Japan which is a typical example, the developing tendency in China, the similarities and differences between China and Japan, and the negative influences that NEET make to their families and society.

1.

Introduction

During recent years, a kind of social group emerges in many countries, such as the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China . These people do not have a job, do not study in school (including graduate school), nor get vocational training. They rely on their parents and society. These kinds of people are called NEET. “NEET is an acronym for the government classification ’Not currently engaged in Employment, Education or Training’. It was first used in the United Kingdom but its use has spread to other countries, including Japan, China and South Korea” [18] In Japan, people aged 15 to 34 can fall into this category. Statistics show that the number of people at the age of 15 to 34 who fall into this group has risen to around 640,000 in 2004.[22] In Japanese society, NEET group makes up 2% of the population [7] .One out of every six Koreans who are aged range 15 to 29 is neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET).One out of every six Koreans who are aged range 15 to 29 is neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET).[11] A report released by “the China Youth and Children Research Center”and “Beijing’s Renmin University of China”indicates “3.6 percent of Chinese between 16 and 29, and 3.2 percent between 16 and 35, were unemployed in 2005. Statistics revealed there were 8.86 million Received March 1, 2009, revised March 31, 2009; published on April 2, 2009. 2009 Asia Subject Classification: Asian Social Issue Key words and phrases: NEET,Aisa,social problem. This article is available at http://sites.google.com/site/thejournalofasianstudies/Home c 2009, SCIC Ragbag Comics. Permission to copy for private use granted. Copyright

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NEET aged 16 to 29 and 12.16 million aged 16 to 35 who sought work.” [9]

NEETS group has become a massive problem, for families, governments and society in many countries in Asia. Korea’s youth employment rate is also relatively low, at 27.2 percent in 2006 compared to that in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.) average of 43 percent. The low employment rate is attributed to the high proportion in the NEET group.[12] Korea’s youth unemployment figure is below the OECD average of 14.7 percent, but its growth suggests that youth unemployment has emerged as a serious social issue since the financial crisis. [13] Japan is a representative. “The quantity of NEETs increased rapidly 400,000 people aged between 15 and 24 were in this category in 2003, five times the figure in 1997”.[2] Reiko Kosugi said, “There are four types of NEET youths in Japan: those who withdraw from society, those who enjoy hanging around with cannot make a decision on their career path, and those who had a full-time job but lost co friends after dropping out of or graduating from high school, university graduates who had a full-time job but lost confidence in their vocational abilities.” [3] In China, NEET groups are jobless youths aged between 15 and 34 who still rely on their parents or partners. There are three categories of NEET: Those who do not want to work, those who have lost their jobs, and those who will not settle for anything less than their elusive ideal job.[6] This kind of groups is also expanding. A lot of students can not get a job after they graduate. “About 30 percent, or 1.4 million college graduates, failed to find a job on graduation in 2007.” [10] “Figures from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security show that 70 percent of the registered unemployed labor force is young people.” [5] No matter which kind of NEET, they represent common characters that those people refuse to study and work and almost isolate themselves with society. In Japan, there are some reasons for this. First, because of the economic recession and the increase of employers, companies transfer their production stronghold to foreign countries, which lead them not to employ young employees. Then, the increase of employment is irregular. For example, employers like to employ part-time workers who cost much less than regular employees. Third, employers prefer to employ workers who have already some experience rather than employing young and fresh workers who has just graduated school. They expect immediately useful workers. There are some other reasons. Young people are not motivated enough to work and do not know or can not decide what they exactly want to do. Also they don not have enough information about work or experience, and they do not really know what kind of job there are.” [21]

HAVE NEET S BECOME AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUE IN ASIAN COUNTRIES?

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The reasons why Japan’s NEET group appeared are similar to those in China.Still, there are some other reasons why this issue occurred In China, parents play very important roles and control most things in families. Parents’ educational attitudes and approaches will determine children. China Newsweek and the Hong Kong newspaper Wenweipao noted that Chinese NEET are members of the one-child generation that have emerged since the start of strict birth-control policies in the 1970s.[8] “There are three elements of Marketization. First, the high price of house. Second, the employment pressure. Third, the lack of social security” Besides, NEETs are always looked after careful by their parents. They are short of independent sense and the feeling of responsibility to their family and the society. They are also hard to adapt to the society. There is a special kind of family value which is different from western countries’. A famous Chinese proverb is ’For those at home, turn to your parents for help; for those outside, turn to your friends for help’. No matter how people develop, family are always the harbor them. Chinese people are afraid of losing face. Parents also fear their children will be hurt.” [14] But, does it mean that parents should take care of their children after they are eighteen years old? “Parents have not responsibility to look after their children who are over 18 years old.” [1] Chinese parents take care of the children who are adults; Most of those children do not have a job. The Chinese traditional cultures make parents have a sense that children should never be abandoned. Although people have this view, they can not deny that NEET group has become a burden to their families. What is a burden? “A burden is a heavy weight that is difficult to carry. Metaphorically it refers to anything difficult or troubling”.[15] How to prove that NEET group has become an important social issue in China?

Figure 1: Form[20] : the living source of unemployment population aged 15-29 (%)

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Through the form, it shows that the unemployed people aged 15-29 rely on other family members. NEETs do not have a job, go to school or get training. They stay at home but make no financial contributions to their families. Parents have to give money to the children. Recently, the “global financial crisis of 2008” [17] made a lot of people become the unemployed.[16] Many university graduates have great difficulty in finding a job.[19] Parents have to pay more money to feed the family members because some of them lost jobs and the youth do not go to work in those families. Government also has to pay large amounts of money to support the employees. It has become great pressure.

2.

Conclusion

The rise of NEET youths has become a social issue in some Asian countries.[4] In Japan, the number of NEETs in Japan increases very quickly. In China, more and more youth over 18 years old still rely on their parents. Although many parents do not care much about it, NEET groups have become a burden to some families and to society actually. Because of the global economic crisis, a lot of people are out of work. Some of them stay at home and rely on their parents; some of them still have to raise children who are NEETs, which is a rather serious problem.

List of References [1] GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CIVIL LAW OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA. http://www.lawinfochina.com/law/display. asp?id=1165, 1987. Accessed 2009. [2] NO EDUCATION, NO EMPLOYMENT, NO TRAINING, Being NEET not so neat for nation’s youth. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ nn20040619f2.html, 2004. Accessed 2009. [3] NO EDUCATION, NO EMPLOYMENT, NO TRAINING, Being NEET not so neat for nation’s youth. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ nn20040619f2.html, 2004. Accessed 2009. [4] NO EDUCATION, NO EMPLOYMENT, NO TRAINING,Being NEET not so neat for nation’s youth. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ nn20040619f2.html, 2004. Accessed 2009. [5] Graduates join the ”Neet” gang. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/ 2005-07/19/content_3236891.htm, 2005. Accessed 2009. [6] NEET Generation Refuses to Grow up. http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/ English/e2005/e200506/f8.htm, 2005. Accessed 2009. [7] A NEET trick: Living on familial love. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/ Asian_Economy/HB17Dk01.html, 2006. Accessed 2009. [8] A NEET trick: Living on familial love. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/ Asian_Economy/HB17Dk01.html, 2006. Accessed 2009. [9] Chinese youth more flexible with employment. http://www.china.org.cn/ china/national/2007-12/26/content_1237153.htm, 2007. Accessed 2009.

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[10] Report: Chinese youth become more flexible with employment. http: //news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/25/content_7311553.htm, 2007. Accessed 2009. [11] Youth Unemployment in Korea on the Rise. http://english.chosun.com/ w21data/html/news/200712/200712240012.html, 2007. Accessed 2009. [12] Youth Unemployment in Korea on the Rise. http://english.chosun.com/ w21data/html/news/200712/200712240012.html, 2007. Accessed 2009. [13] Youth Unemployment in Korea on the Rise. http://english.chosun.com/ w21data/html/news/200712/200712240012.html, 2007. Accessed 2009. [14] Analyze Chinese Youth who Depend on the Old. http://house.focus.cn/ msgview/895/150692287.html, 2008. Accessed 2009. [15] Burden. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden, 2008. Accessed 2009. [16] China strives to avoid large layoffs in financial crisis. http: //www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-12/16/content_7311843.htm, 2008. Accessed 2009. [17] Global financial crisis of 2008C2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Global_financial_crisis_of_2008, 2008. Accessed 2009. [18] NEET. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEET, 2008. Accessed 2009. [19] Premier reassures graduates on jobs. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ china/2008-12/21/content_7325979.htm, 2008. Accessed 2009. [20] Chinese National Bureau of Statistics. The Fifth Aational Census Information of China. Chinese National Bureau of Statistics Press. [21] Mr. Toshiaki OTA. Policy and measures for youth eployment and human resources development in japan. January 2004. [22] Tuukka Toivonen. Japn’s first experiment with activation policy for young adults. January 2008.

Ellie K. Liang

[email protected]

Sino-Canadian International College, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Gaungxi Province, People’s Republic of China, 530004