雇用

This term is a formal noun used primarily in business, legal, and governmental contexts. It refers not only to the act of hiring someone but also to the ongoing state of being employed under a contract.

It is crucial to distinguish "koyō" (雇用) from "saiyō" (採用). While "saiyō" focuses on the specific point of selection and the act of recruiting or hiring a person for a position, "koyō" encompasses the entire relationship between the employer and the employee, including the duration of the contract and the conditions of work.

In contemporary Japanese society, this word frequently appears in discussions regarding labor markets, such as "hi-seiki koyō" (non-regular employment), highlighting the systemic nature of how people are employed rather than the individual act of getting a job.