Local News

Fukuoka City-based Best Denki revealed plans to cut more than 1,000 of its roughly 5,500 employees, including irregular workers, by February 2012. In addition to offering workers early retirement, they will not replace retirees and cut back on new hires. Combined with the employee cutbacks at major department stores, this indicates the impact of the financial crisis that began in late 2008 on employment has spread from the manufacturing industry to the retail industry.