部下：部長、景気が回復するまで、パートの人に辞めてもらったらどうでしょう？
部長：それも、仕方ないだろうね。これからは、少数精鋭でいくことにしよう。
Shoosuu-seiei
Buka: Buchoo, keikiga kaifuku suru made, paato no hito ni yamete morattara doo desho?
Bucho: Sore mo, shikata nai daroo ne. Korekara wa, shoosuu-seiei de iku koto ni shiyoo.
Employee: Maybe we should lay off the part-timers until the economy picks up.
Chief: I guess that can't be helped. We'll have to make do with only the very best from here on.
* * *
Shoosuu-seiei means 'a select few,' 'an elitie corps.' By using shosu-seiei the chief is praising his employees as 'a few capable people among lots of mediocre workers.' Employees who don't see themselves as belonging to this select group, however, might hear the chief's words as a hint to leave the company. "Kono kaisha de wa, shoosuu-seiei shika iki-nokoranai (Only a select few will survive at this company). Perhaps now's the time to look for work elsewhere. " Some 8 million Japanese are presently employed as part-time workers. Most are women and when the economy isn't doing well, are the first to get laid off.
In good times they work for as little as \500 to \1,000 an hour. As soon as they are no longer needed they are discarded like waste. As far as most companies are concerned it is much more convenient to hire part- timers than full-time employees. I know quite a few women who were recently fired and are now looking for work. With a mortgage to pay, heavy education expenses-most families can't get by on just the husband's salary. They need that part-time income.
As the Japanese economy has developed, so too has the number of temporary employment agencies.
These agencies act as middlemen for companies and job-seekers and match workers with companies seeking qualified personnel. From 40,000 cases in 1986, the number has risen to 170,000 in 1992. Demand is down this year, though, as companies cut back and trim costs. Most of the positions used to be clerical jobs. De- mand today, however, is for workers who can perform specialized work. Watashi no kaisha wa shoosuu-seiei shugi de yatte iku tsumori desu (Our company policy will be to eliminate any excess and only employ a select few).
In good economic times, if one looks for a job, there's usually one to be found. Many companies now employ part-timers and so the opportunities have ex- panded. In bad times, most companies feel that they have to do with just a select few (shoosuu-seiei de ikanakereba naranai). They don't have the luxury of being able to hire unqualified people.
I feel sorry for women who depend on part-time and temporary jobs. Such women should decide to get as many qualifications as possible. Be able to tell the company that they need YOUR skills. Shoorai wa, kono kaisha no shoosuu-seiei no ichiin ni naru (In the future, I plan to be one of this company's select few). Women, this is what we need to do.