Over 100,000 people in Japan have been dismissed or seen their employment contracts terminated without renewal due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports The Japan Times, citing data from a labour ministry tally. The cumulative total, including those currently expecting their employment to be terminated, stood at 100,425 as of Wednesday, after topping 50,000 in August last year. After posting up to around 10,000 dismissals and terminations each month through August 2020, dismissals and contract terminations somewhat decreased to about 5,000 to 6,000 per month in autumn and later. But the figure rebounded above 9,000 in March this year, the final month of fiscal 2020. By industry, the manufacturing sector had the largest cumulative number of dismissals and contract terminations, at over 20,000 as of Friday. Nonregular workers account for half of those who lost their jobs because of the pandemic. The government has used a special measure under its employment adjustment subsidy program to provide financial aid to businesses maintaining employment, however, the measure is set to expire at the end of this month. The actual employment situation is believed to be worse than the tally suggests as the information acquired by the ministry covers only part of the labour market. Japan is said to be in the early stages of a fourth Covid-19 wave.