A thread on bulletin board 2-Channel responds to news that the Japanese government plans to offer subsidies to companies who hire long-time freeters (people who lack full time employment or are unemployed) as full-time regular employees. Subsidies of 500,000 yen will be paid to large companies, and subsidies of 1 million yen to medium-sized companies, for freeters that have been kept on board for at least one year. “Is this an election ploy?” one commenter writes. Another writes: “Will there be any effect? If so, then it's not bad, but…” Another complains: “Why pay them? That's tax money.”