Note 3-31

(31) 1 The number of young people called "freeters" has increased recently. Freeters are those in their teens or 20s who refrain from going to school or becoming regular employees or take up part-time and other temporary jobs. No clear definition of freeters exists. The number of freeters was estimated at 1.51 million (by the Ministry of Labour) for 1997 and at 1.93 million (by the Japan Institute of Labour) for 2000. The services sector employs 44.8% of freeters. Three sectors -- services, restaurant, and wholesale and retail--alone are estimated to have employed some 80% of freeters (according to Recruit Co.' s Works Institute).