Comparative Analysis on the Job-Broking Market in Japan and Finland

This study compares the job-broking market of Japan and Finland. The study is based on statistical and literature analysis and interviews at the Public Employment Service. The Japanese labour market can be divided into a new graduate market and a mid-career market. The Japanese recruitment market is more lively compared with the Finnish market. In Japan substituting those retired is an important reason for recruiting, as in Finland new jobs and turnover of labour force are main reasons. Recruiting new graduates is based on longer-term assessment is Japan. There are many similarities in job-broking technology between the Japanese and the Finnish PES. The use of the Internet is broad and efficient, but also selectivity is being emphasised. The PES sees its role in both countries as being one recruitment channel among others and the PES introduces all recruitment channels in a versatile way to its customers. The mobile phone is not considered as good as the Internet as to job-broking technology in either of the countries, because the amount of information is limited in the mobile technology. In the skill issues of the PES there are many differences between the countries. In Japan the PES sees its role being more between the employers and the job-seekers, as in Finland this traditional role is about to change more into promoting direct contacts between the two. The use of multiple and overlapping recruitment channels is more common in Finland than in Japan where the use of channels is more well-established.