from yesterday's Nikkei

配当３年ぶり増　５．３兆円　上場企業今期１１％　増・復配、４社に１社　投資とバランス

Thanks to recovering business performances, listed companies's stock dividends will also get vigor again. According to a projection, it is likely that the total amount of listed companies' stock dividends for the business term through the end of March next year would be 5.3 trillion yen, up 11 percent from previous term, which is the first increase in three years.

The companies which plan to resume or increse their stock dividends account for a quarter of all.

As business performances are getting back to the normal, they have come to have enough fund available to increase or resume dividends as well as to invest in the the facilities and equipment or use in personnel expenses. Under these circumstances,they are now considering how to make an adjustment between investment and dividend.

from today\'s Nikkei

外国人を大量採用　主要業務で育成　三菱重工、技術者などを８００人　パナソニック、日本で２年研修

Many of Japanese major companies are going to hire many foreign workers in their main business areas like development,product design,and sales management.Specifically, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is to increase its foreign workers by about 800 people a year in areas centering around the Asian countries.

In Panasonic Corporation, they are setting up a long-term training course where foreign employees get an educational training for two years in Japan. Its purpose is to give a good education to the company's future executive candidates. In other words, it is aimed at making use of human resources at abroad by employing them and doing business overseas with market needs always kept in mind.These movements are now seen in many kinds of industries including the domestic demand-oriented ones such as the distribution one.