Episode Details

Government reports expect that, at the current rate, the working age population will drop by 40 percent to 45 million by 2065. 

政府报告预计，按照目前的速度，到 2065 年，劳动年龄人口将减少 40%，达到 4500 万。 

Supporters of the three-days-off model say it helps people remain in the workforce longer. It would give them more time to raise children and care for older relatives. For retirees living on retirement pensions, it would provide additional income. 

三天休假模式的支持者表示，这有助于人们在工作岗位上停留更长时间。 这将使他们有更多时间抚养孩子和照顾年长的亲戚。 对于依靠退休金生活的退休人员来说，这将提供额外的收入。

Akiko Yokohama works at Spelldata, a technology company that lets employees work a four-day work week. She takes Wednesdays off along with Saturdays and Sundays. The extra day off allows her to get her hair done, go to other appointments or go shopping. 

Akiko Yokohama 在 Spelldata 工作，这是一家允许员工每周工作四天的技术公司。 她周三以及周六和周日都休息。 额外的一天休息让她可以做头发、去参加其他约会或去购物。 

Her husband works in real estate. He also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is common in his industry. Yokohama said that it lets her and her husband go on midweek family outings with their elementary-school age child. 

她的丈夫从事房地产工作。 他周三休息，但周末工作，这在他的行业中很常见。 横滨说，这让她和她的丈夫可以带着小学年龄的孩子在周中进行家庭郊游。 

But there are signs of change. A few companies, including Uniqlo, Ricoh and Hitachi have begun offering a four-day workweek. 

但有变化的迹象。 包括优衣库、理光和日立在内的一些公司已经开始提供每周四天的工作制。 

A recent Gallup public opinion study measured employee engagement. Gallup said Japan has among the least engaged workers of all nationalities it has studied. Only six percent of the Japanese who answered described themselves as engaged at work compared to the worldwide average of 23 percent. 

盖洛普最近的一项民意研究衡量了员工敬业度。 盖洛普表示，在其研究的所有国家中，日本工人是敬业度最低的国家之一。 只有 6% 的日本受访者表示自己工作积极，而全球平均水平为 23%。