Employment in Japan Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

Employment in Japan Reading Answers contains 15 questions. Employment in Japan Reading Answers is taken from Cambridge IELTS Reading Practice Tests Volume 1. The IELTS reading section consists of a passage based on which questions are made and the student needs to answer the question by reading the comprehension. The IELTS reading section basically is conducted to understand the ability of the candidate. This particular IELTS reading topic - Employment in Japan is an Academic topic and has three types of questions:

Matching Paragraphs
Yes/No/Not Given

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Employment in Japan Reading Answers

Every autumn, when recruitment of new graduates and school leavers begins, major cities in Japan are flooded with students hunting for a job. Wearing suits for the first time, they run from one interview to another. The season is crucial for many students, as their whole lives may be determined during this period.
In Japan, lifetime employment is commonly practised by large companies. While people working in small companies and those working for sub-contractors do not, in general, enjoy the advantages conferred by the large companies, there is a general expectation that employees will, in fact, remain more or less permanently in the same job.
Unlike in many Western countries where companies employ people whose skills can be effective immediately, Japanese companies select applicants with potential who can be trained to become suitable employees. For this reason, recruiting employees is an important exercise for companies, as they invest a lot of time and money in training new staff. This is basically true both for factory workers and for professionals. Professionals who have studied subjects which are of immediate use in the workplace, such as industrial engineers, are very often placed in factories and transferred from one section to another. By gaining experience in several different areas and by working in close contact with workers, the engineers are believed, in the long run, to become more effective members of the company. Workers too feel more involved by working with professionals and by being allowed to voice their opinions. Loyalty is believed to be cultivated in this type of egalitarian working environment.
Because of this system of training employees to be all-rounders, mobility between companies is low. Wages are set according to educational background or initial field of employment, ordinary graduates being employed in administration, engineers in engineering and design departments and so on. Both promotions and wage increases tend to be tied to seniority, though some differences may arise later on as a result of ability and business performance. Wages are paid monthly, and the net sum, after the deduction of tax, is usually paid directly into a bank account. As well as salary, a bonus is usually paid twice a year. This is a custom that dates back to the time when employers gave special allowances so that employees could properly celebrate bon, a Buddhist festival held in mid-July in Tokyo, but on other dates in other regions. The festival is held to appease the souls of ancestors. The second bonus is distributed at New Year. Recently, bonuses have also been offered as a way of allowing workers a share in the profits that their hard work has gained.
Many female graduates complain that they are not given equal training and equal opportunity in comparison to male graduates. Japanese companies generally believe that female employees will eventually leave to get married and have children. It is also true that, as well as the still-existing belief among women themselves that nothing should stand in the way of child-rearing, the extended hours of work often do not allow women to continue their careers after marriage.
Disappointed career-minded female graduates often opt to work for foreign firms. Since most male graduates prefer to join Japanese firms with their guaranteed security, foreign firms are often keen to employ female graduates as their potential tends to be greater than that of male applicants.
Some men, however, do leave their companies in spite of future prospects, one reason being to take over the family business. The eldest sons in families that own family companies or businesses such as stores are normally expected to take over the business when their parents retire. It is therefore quite common to see a businessman, on succeeding to his parents' business, completely change his professional direction by becoming, for example, a shopkeeper.
On the job, working relationships tend to be very close because of the long hours of work and years of service in common. Social life, in fact, is frequently based on the workplace. Restaurants and nomi-ya, "pubs", are always crowded at night with people enjoying an evening out with their colleagues. Many companies organise trips and sports days for their employees. Senior staff often play the role of mentor. This may mean becoming involved in the lives of junior staff in such things as marriage and the children's education.
The average age of retirement is between 55 and 60. For most Westerners, retirement may be an eagerly awaited time to undertake such things as travel and hobbies. Many Japanese, however, simply cannot get used to the freedom of retirement and they look for ways of constructively using their time. Many look for new jobs, feeling that if they do not work they will be abandoned by society. This has recently led to the development in some municipalities of municipal job centres which advertise casual work such as cleaning and lawn mowing. Given that Japan is facing the problem of an increasingly ageing society, such activities may be vital in the future.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Question 1 - 9:
The reading passage has 9 sections, A-I.
A list of heading is given below. The candidate must choose the correct heading for each paragraph

List of Phrases,

Hierarchy-based salary structure.
Foreign companies recruitment strategy in Japan.
The work-life and social life of an employee in a Japanese company.
Lifetime job opportunity in Japan.
Why do Japanese people work even after retirement?
The season for recruiting: Where, Who, and When.
Why do men change career paths by leaving the Japanese company?
Jobs for females lack priority in Japanese Companies.
Japanese recruiting process compared with other countries.

Section A .......…
Section B .......…
Section C .......…
Section D .......…
Section E .......…
Section F .......…
Section G .......…
Section H .......…
Section I ..........

Question 1.

Answer: VI
Supporting Sentence: Every year when the autumn season starts, every major city in Japan can be found flooded with fresh graduates and school leavers who try to get a job by attending recruitment drives and interviews.
Keywords: Recruitment, Autumn.
Keyword location: Section A, 1st line
Explanation: Autumn season is considered to be very crucial because every major city in Japan can be seen flooded with fresh graduates and school leavers who try to get a job by attending recruitment drives and interviews. So (VI) heading is appropriate for section A

Question 2. Section B

Answer: IV
Supporting Sentence: It is a very common practice by large firms in Japan to offer a lifetime employment opportunity to their employees. But in small firms, employees do not get these benefits.
Keywords: Lifetime, employment
Keyword location: Section B, 1st line
Explanation: Employee retention in small companies in Japan is very low when compared to Large companies because in large companies the employees are offered lifetime employment. So (IV) heading is appropriate for section B

Question 3. Section C

Answer: IX
Supporting Sentence: Western countries employ people whose skills can be put into effect from their day of joining, but Japanese companies recruit people who can be potentially trained to become the best fit for the firm.
Keywords: Recruiting, Countries
Keyword location: Section C, 1st & 5th line.
Explanation: Recruiting employees is a very important process for companies in japan as they train new members by investing material and time. So (IX) is appropriate for section C.

Question 4. Section D

Answer: I
Supporting Sentence: On the basis of educational background & initial field of employment, the wage is structured. Based on the seniority level the increase in promotion and wages will be provided.
Keywords: Wages, Seniority
Keyword location: Section D, 2nd & 7th line
Explanation: Based on the seniority level the increase in promotion and wages are structured. At the time of recruiting an employee, his/her wage is decided based on his educational qualification and the field of employment. So (I) is appropriate for section D

Question 5. Section E

Answer: VIII
Supporting Sentence: No equal job training & job opportunity is the only complaints frequently raised by female graduates and female employees. Japanese companies also say that the majority of female employees will leave the job to do marriage and have children.
Keywords: female employees, opportunity, training.
Keyword location: Section E, 1st & 4th line.
Explanation: The extended working hours will not allow a woman to pursue her career if she is married and has a child. Japanese companies also say that the majority of female employees will leave the job to do marriage and have children. So (VIII) is appropriate to section E

Question 6. Section F

Answer: II
Supporting Sentence: Since Japanese companies recruit male graduates in high volume. The foreign firm will employ female graduates which result in the delivery of a high potential level. Also, female graduates lack equal training & opportunities in Japanese firms.
Keywords: foreign firms, employ
Keyword location: Section F, 3rd line.
Explanation: As female graduates lack equal training & opportunities in Japanese firms. The foreign firm will employ female graduates which result in the delivery of a high potential level. So (II) is appropriate to section F

Question 7. Section G

Answer: VII
Supporting Sentence: Men leave their companies to take over the family business.
Usually, the eldest son takes over the family business when his/her parents retire.
Keywords: men, family business.
Keyword location: Section G, 1st & 3rd Line
Explanation: It is very common in Japan to see men changing their professional direction from being an employee to becoming a businessman. Usually, the eldest son takes over the family business when his/her parents retire. So (VII) is appropriate to section G.

Question 8. Section H

Answer: III
Supporting Sentence: Due to long hours of work and many years of service together, the employees always share their work-life & social life very closely with each other.
Keywords: social life, employee
Keyword location: Section H, 3rd & 7th line.
Explanation: The employees in a Japanese company work together as their working hours are too long and they share their social life by spending time together in restaurants and pubs as they are associated with each other for a very long time. So (III) is appropriate to section H.

Question 9. Section I

Answer: V
Supporting Sentence: The fear of being abandoned by society makes the Japanese people look for new jobs even after their retirement. The people in japan retire at the age of 55 and 60. Even municipal jobs like lawn mowing & cleaning are created to cater to this demand.
Keywords: retirement, Job
Keyword location: Sentence I, 5th & 6th lines
Explanation: The people in Japan retire at the age of 55 and 60. The fear of being abandoned by society makes the Japanese people look for new jobs even after their retirement. So it is very clear that people do not enjoy their retirement freedom rather prefer to go to work. So (V) is appropriate to the section I

Questions 10 - 15:

From the given statements, does it reflect the opinion of the author of the reading passage?

Write,

YES, if the statement reflects the opinion of the author
NO, if the statement does not reflect the opinion of the author
NOT GIVEN, if it has no relevance to what the author is saying

Question 10. In all the seasons, cities in Japan are flooded with new graduates looking for jobs.

Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: Every year when the autumn season starts, every major city in Japan can be found flooded with fresh graduates and school leavers who try to get a job by attending recruitment drives and interviews.
Keywords: graduates, autumn
Keyword location: Sentence A, 1st line.
Explanation: Autumn season is considered to be very crucial because every major city in Japan can be seen flooded with fresh graduates and school leavers who try to get a job by attending recruitment drives and interviews. So the above statement contradicts what the author of the passage says.

Question 11. Lifetime employment if offered to only male candidates based on specific educational qualifications.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting Sentence: It is a very common practice by large firms in Japan to offer a lifetime employment opportunity to all their employees. But in small firms, employees do not get these benefits.
Keywords: lifetime employment
Keyword location: Sentence B, 1st line
Explanation: Employee retention in small companies in Japan is very low when compared to Large companies because in large companies the employees are offered lifetime employment. So as per the passage, there is no information on specific gender and education qualification. Hence the statement is not given.

Question 12. Japanese companies recruit employees and train them; this results in loyalty.

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: Japanese companies recruit people who can be potentially trained to become the best fit for the firm. Employees, when trained in multiple areas of expertise and also get to raise their opinion, will eventually result in employee loyalty.
Keywords: Trained, Loyalty, Opinion
Keyword location: Sentence C, 4th & 17th line.
Explanation: Recruiting employees is a very important process for companies in japan as they train new members by investing material and time. So it is TRUE that Japanese companies recruit employees and train them. This results in loyalty.

Question 13. The increase in wages and promotions is not based on seniority.

Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: Based on the seniority level the increase in promotion and wages are structured. At the time of recruiting an employee, his/her wage is decided based on his educational qualification and the field of employment.
Keywords: Wages, Promotion, seniority
Keyword location: Sentence D, 6th & 7th line
Explanation: Based on the seniority level the increase in promotion and wages will be provided. So the above statement contradicts what the author of the passage is saying.

Question 14. Jobs for female graduates lack priority in Japanese Companies when compared with male graduates

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: No equal job training & job opportunity is the only complaints frequently raised by female graduates and female employees. Japanese companies also say that the majority of female employees will leave the job to do marriage and have children.
Keywords: female graduate, male, graduate, compared
Keyword location: Sentence E, 1st & 3rd line
Explanation: Japanese companies also say that the majority of female employees will leave the job to do marriage and have children. No equal job training & job opportunity is the only complaints frequently raised by female graduates and female employees. So it is true that Japanese companies tend to recruit male candidates more when compared with female graduates. So YES the statement reflects the opinion of the author

Question 15. The eldest son in families tends to change his professional direction and take over the family business.

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: Men leave their companies to take over the family business. Usually, the eldest son takes over the family business when his/her parents retire.
Keywords: eldest son, family business, professional direction
Keyword location: Section G, 3rd & 8th line
Explanation: It is very common in Japan to see men changing his professional direction from being an employee to becoming a businessman. Usually, the eldest son takes over the family business when his/her parents retire. So YES the statement reflects the opinion of the author.

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