The now ex-finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa may have been under the weather, drunk or sick, you take your pick, but one thing is for sure - the state of the economy is enough to drive anyone to drink.

This week's column is intended for HR and business managers who are confronted with having to execute orders from head office to pare down the workforce as a means of reducing cost. Because the reductions will be general in nature, the most common reaction of the local management is to deal with the problem in a general way as well – usually by sending emails or having mass meetings. However, in my experience, mass communications of a negative nature almost never work, so I decided to consult with a professional in the HR and Training field, Mr. Andrew Silberman of AMT Group.

The nation's shrinking workforce still has the baby blues.