据日本警察厅一项初步统计显示，日本的自杀人数自1998年以来已连续12年超过3万。2009年的自杀人数达32753人，比2008年增加了504人，其中男性自杀者为23406人，女性为9347人。2009年3月到5月期间，每月的自杀人数都超过3000，明显与当时低迷的经济状况有关。为此，日本首相专门成立了一个紧急工作组来应对高自杀率的问题。该工作组采取的应对措施之一是从去年11月份开始给部分公共职业介绍所派遣心理健康专业工作人员。

　　The number of suicides in Japan increased again amid the economic doldrums in 2009, staying above30,000 for the 12th straight year, the National Police Agency saidTuesday in a preliminary report。

　　The tally totaled 32,753 in thereporting year, the fifth largest on record and up 504 from 2008 whenit fell by 844 from the year before. It has remained over 30,000 since 1998.

　　Men accounted for 23,406 of the total and women 9,347.

　　The rise apparently reflected theeconomic slump as the number of monthly suicides topped 3,000 fromMarch to May in line with the tendency of people with economic problemsto commit suicide around the time a business year ends. Most Japanese companies close books on March 31.

　　The monthly breakdown has stayed highsince a double-digit surge to above 3,000 in October 2008, followingthe ‘‘Lehman shock’’ collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman BrothersHoldings Inc in September that year。

　　The government of Prime Minister YukioHatoyama has set up an emergency task force to address the high suicidenumbers. One of its measures has been to staff some of the ‘‘HelloWork’’ public job placement offices with mental health professionalssince last November。

　　By prefecture, the 2009 figures roseby more than 100 in Saitama and Chiba, but dropped by that much inOsaka and Hokkaido, the agency said。