Large companies in Japan generally hire new employees who have just completed their schooling for regular employee positions. Their employment begins in April, and they usually undertake a period of company training before they begin work. Up until the mid-1990s, young men who were hired by large companies could expect to stay with the same firm for their entire career. This was true both for those hired for manufacturing jobs after graduating from high school or technical school, and those hired for white collar “salaryman” positions, usually after completing college. Prior to passage of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law, women hired into large companies directly from school could expect to remain with their employer until they left work to raise a family.Persons who do not obtain regular employment right out of school in Japan, or who lose their jobs, fall into a secondary labor market and have little hope of obtaining the prized regular, permanent positions in large companies.