▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁wave ▁of ▁lay offs ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁financial ▁crisis ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁which ▁highlight ed ▁recent ▁struct ural ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁Japanese ▁labor ▁market ▁and ▁prompt ed ▁calls ▁for ▁reform ▁of ▁the ▁labor ▁laws . ▁Est im ates ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁lay offs ▁between ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁and ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁range ▁from ▁ 1 3 1 , 0 0 0 , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Health , ▁Labour ▁and ▁W elf are , ▁to ▁ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁according ▁to ▁staff ing ▁industry ▁associations . ▁The ▁problem ▁was ▁especially ▁ac ute ▁because ▁temporary ▁workers ▁enjoy ▁few ▁of ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁benefits ▁that ▁protect ▁full - time ▁regular ▁employees . ▁For ▁example , ▁at ▁least ▁half ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁non - regular ▁workers ▁are ▁in el ig ible ▁for ▁un emp loyment ▁benefits ▁because ▁they ▁have ▁not ▁held ▁their ▁jobs ▁a ▁year ▁or ▁longer . ▁In ▁many ▁cases , ▁both ▁ha ken ▁and ▁short - term ▁contract ▁workers ▁were ▁laid ▁off ▁before ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁their ▁contract s , ▁but ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁pen alt ies ▁in ▁the ▁labor ▁laws ▁meant ▁that ▁no ▁red ress ▁was ▁available ▁except ▁through ▁civil ▁law su its . ▁ ▁Public ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁the ▁laid - off ▁workers ▁pe aked ▁around ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁when ▁ 5 0 0 ▁un emp loy ed ▁and ▁hom eless ▁temporary