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Simulation for labor market using a multi-agent model toward validation of the Amended Labor Contract Act

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Abstract

In 2012, Japan amended its Labor Contract Act (LCA) to ameliorate the employment conditions for fixed-term workers. Unfortunately, the amended law still has a problem, which is known as the refusal to renew employment contracts. This paper argues that the law’s amendment fails to reflect its initial motivation due to a gap between its predicted and its actual effects. We employ a multi-agent system, in which agents autonomously behave as employers and employees. We simulated the amendment’s effect with a multi-agent system that consists of company agents with Q-learning and worker agents. Our experiments clarified that since the LCA was enforced in advance, companies are more likely to hire permanent workers without being swayed by economic trends. We achieved a small economic society through which we examined the source of the economic disparity post-LCA. Our study supports legislation for amendment of such employment laws.

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Acknowledgements

This research was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant numbers JP19K22899 and JP19H04427.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Niigata Institute of Technology, Niigata, Japan

    Makoto Nakamura

  2. National Institute of Technology, Toyama College, Toyama, Japan

    Shingo Hagiwara & Ryuichi Matoba

Authors
  1. Makoto Nakamura
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  2. Shingo Hagiwara
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  3. Ryuichi Matoba
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Correspondence to Makoto Nakamura.

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Nakamura, M., Hagiwara, S. & Matoba, R. Simulation for labor market using a multi-agent model toward validation of the Amended Labor Contract Act. Artif Life Robotics 27, 472–479 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10015-022-00764-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10015-022-00764-9

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