from today's Nikkei

公共工事、グループで審査　持ち株会社　入札しやすく　ゼネコン再編促す　国交省、基準見直し
The Ministry of Land,Infrastructure and Transport will soon revise its standards for management assesment for contractors which want to participate in bidding for the public works projects,in order to urge the so-called general contractors to implement their realignments and mergers or acquisitions.Even if they go ahead with their realignment by,for example,local division under the holding company system,the ministry intends that they will not be influenced unfavorably only by the mamagement size-down.That means the management assessment will be done from the viewpoint of the contractor's group competence.

from yesterday's Nikkei

正社員雇用　回復鮮明に　昨年人数、37万人増に転換　団塊世代退職・景気の回復・・・　人手不足感強く
Companies's employment of regular workers has recently become conspicuous.According to a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of regular workers in 2006 was up 370,000 people from the previous year, being 34.11 million people.Companies have been making efforts in securing a stable worlforce, or regular employees, given the situations like recent economic recovery and soon expected mass retirement of baby-boomers.For the time being,this sentiment of workforce shortage will continue and then the expansion of employment also will continue.