In Japan many workers for large corporations have a guarantee of lifetime employment. They will not be laid off during recessions(经济萧条) or when the tasks they perform are taken over by robots. To some observes, this is capitalism at its best, because workers are treated as people not things. Others see it as necessarily inefficient and believe it cannot continue if Japan is to remain competitive with foreign corporations more concerned about profits and less concerned about people.

Defenders of the system argue that those who call it inefficient do not understand how it really works. In the first place not every Japanese worker has the guarantee of a lifetime job. The lifetime employment system includes only “regular employees”. Many employees do not fall into this category, including all women. All businesses have many part-time and temporary employees. These workers are hired and laid off during the course of the business cycle just as employees in the United States are. These “irregular workers” make up about 10 percent of the nonagricultural work force. Additionally, Japanese firms maintain some flexibility through the extensive use of subcontractors. This practice is much more common in Japan than in the United States.

The use of both subcontractors and temporary workers has increased markedly in Japan since the 1974-1975 recession. All this leads some to argue that the Japanese system is not all that different from the American system. During recessions Japanese corporations lay off temporary workers and give less business to subcontractors. In the United States, corporations lay off those workers with the least seniority(资历). The difference then is probably less than the term “lifetime employment” suggests, but there still is a difference. And this difference cannot be understood without looking at the values of Japanese society. The relationship between employer and employee cannot be explained in purely contractual(合同的) terms. Firms hold on to the employees and employees stay with one firm. There are also practical reasons for not jumping from job to job. Most retirement benefits come from the employer. Changing jobs means losing these benefits. Also, teamwork is an essential part of Japanese production. Moving to a new firm means adapting to a different team and at least temporarily, lower productivity and lower pay.

1.The observers are divided with regard to their attitudes towards ____.
A)the guarantee of lifetime employment
B)the consequence of recessions and automation
C)the effect of lifetime employment
D)the prospects of capitalism

2.It is stated in the second paragraph that ____.
A)defenders themselves do not appreciate the system
B)about 90% of “irregular workers” are employed in agriculture
C)the business cycle occurs more often in Japan and in the U.S.
D)not all employees can benefit from the policy

3.During recessions those who are to be fired first in the U.S. corporations are ____.
A)regular employees
B)part-time workers
C)junior employees
D)temporary workers

4.According to the passage, Japanese firms differ strikingly from American firms in that the former ____.
A)use subcontractors more extensively
B)are less flexible in terms of lifetime employment
C)hold on to the values of society
D)are more efficient in competition than the latter

5.Which of the following does NOT account for the fact that a Japanese worker is reluctant to change his job?
A)He will probably be underpaid.
B)He will not be entitled to some job benefits.
C)He has been accustomed to the teamwork.
D)He will be looked down upon by his prospective employer.

 

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