1.
employment ice age; era of severe job scarcity
A period of extremely poor job prospects for new graduates in Japan, primarily referring to the late 1990s through early 2000s following the burst of the economic bubble. The generation affected is known as the 'ice age generation.'
During the employment ice age, there were many young people who couldn't become full-time employees.
Cultural note
The term was coined around 1994 to describe the sharp decline in new graduate hiring after the collapse of Japan's asset price bubble. The 就職氷河期世代 (ice age generation), born roughly between 1970 and 1984, faced extremely competitive job markets. Many were forced into non-regular employment (非正規雇用), and this economic disadvantage has had lasting effects on their careers, income, and family formation.