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• The number of births in 2016 dropped below one million for the first time.
• The Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor’s Labor Policy Council announces that overtime restrictions may come into force as soon as April 2019.
• The Japan Teachers’ Union discovers that “irregular” teachers are increasingly taking charge of classes, club activities, and working in “blank” periods.
• Women’s employment rate reaches 66% (its highest ever), but the percentage in managerial positions is low.
• Elderly-care facilities will be added to the list of workplaces that can accept foreign technical interns.
• The “Equal pay for equal work” bill is predicted to be submitted this autumn.
• The “Regulatory Reform Implementation Plan” was decided in the Cabinet.
(Translated from Japanese)