More Young Japanese Turning To Suicide

The economic slump and subsequent job losses have driven more young Japanese to commit suicide, with a record number of victims in their 30s, police said Thursday.

Although the number of young victims rose, suicides dipped 2.6 percent overall to 32,249 in 2008. Of the 23,000 who gave a motive for their suicides, those who said it was a "failure to get a job" grew by 40 percent, while "job loss" climbed 20 percent, according to an annual report published by the National Police Agency.

Suicides by people in their 20s and 30s rose, with more than half citing job loss as a reason.

Suicides among those aged 30-39 climbed 1.7 percent to 4,850, a record for the age group and double the number in 1991.

Men in their 50s were the most likely victims, accounting for one-fifth of all cases - a consistent statistic.

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and the government has earmarked $220 million for anti-suicide projects, including programs to help those with depression and other mental health problems.

Many companies have suspended production and slashed thousands of jobs in recent months in response to the global economic slump. Temporary contract workers were the first to lose their jobs and many also became homeless because temporary factory jobs often come with company housing.

Nearly 30 percent of the victims in their 20s were temporary workers.

A recent report by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimated that nearly 158,000 "non-regular" employees in the manufacturing sector lost their jobs between October and March.