In Japan, a is a person aged 18 to 34 who is unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise lacks full-time paid employment. The term excludes stay-at-home spouses and students.
The meaning of the term developed negative connotations in the 1990s after the Japanese asset price bubble broke resulting in a recession, and Freeters began to be seen as a burden on society. In the 1980s, the term had been seen in a positive light signifying the freedom to explore other alternative options for employment when the economy of Japan was prosperous with many different job opportunities.
The relaxation of protective labor laws and the deregulation of recruitment practices in 1998 allowed companies to employ larger numbers of flexible workers for longer periods of time. About 10% of high school and university graduates could not find steady employment in the spring of 2000, and a full 50% of those who could find a job left within three years after employment. The employment situation was worse for the youngest freeters.
From 2000 to 2009, the number of freeters increased rapidly. In 1982 there were an estimated 0.5 million freeters in Japan, 0.8 million in 1987, 1.01 million in 1992 and 1.5 million in 1997. In 2001 there were 4.17 million freeters according to one estimate, and an estimated 2 million in 2002.
The rise of internet business has allowed some freeters to work from home and be self-employed. Some experts predict that Japan's aging population will create a labor shortage that will increase career options for freeters.
Causes
The Japan Institute of Labor classifies freeters into three groups: the "moratorium type" that wants to wait before starting a career, the "dream pursuing type", and the "no alternative type".
- The moratorium type of freeter wants to enjoy life, and deliberately chooses not to join the rat race of the Japanese work environment.
- The dream pursuing type has specific dreams incompatible with a standard Japanese career.
- The no alternative type could not find a decent job before high school or university graduation in the system called , which is unique to Japanese society. Those left behind by Shinsotsu-Ikkatsu-Saiyō are forced to take low paying irregular jobs. This usually has to do with their dropout status from previous educational institutes. Those who dropped out of high school have the worst prospects.
Effects
Difficulties starting their own household
Many freeters live for free with their parents as what is described by some media outlets as parasite single. Parents in Japan usually do not force their offspring out of the house. Once the parents die, the children will have to pay for their housing themselves. Even if they inherit the house or apartment, they still have to bear the costs of ownership.
Japanese housing is compact, and is too small for two families. If freeters want to marry, then they have to find their own housing, usually at their own expense.
Women have fewer financial incentives to marry (such as salary increases) than men do, and women are traditionally seen as the caregivers of older family members, which is becoming increasingly difficult due to the growing number of senior citizens. If women marry, then the burden gets doubled with them having to take care of their parents, spouse's parents, husband, and potential children. These issues, along with wanting to work for money and not marrying may lead to stigmas of being not only parasite singles but also "unfeminine".
Work and marriage are seen as the two main identifiers for adulthood and are the normative ideals of masculinity. Men deal with comparisons to the salaryman, also known as a "corporate warrior", the idolized ideal job for men during economic growth from the 1960s associated with Japan's rebuilding of its nation and economy after WWII.