Classification system based on educational background

...Factory workers were classified as ordinary workers, third-class workers, second-class workers, and first-class workers, while employees were classified as associate employees, employees, etc. The job ranks in the job order corresponded to the status order, and the rankings of the two were determined mainly by their educational background (status system by educational background), with those who had completed compulsory education (elementary school) being factory workers, those who had completed secondary education (junior high school, vocational school) being treated as junior and middle-level employees, and those who had completed higher education (vocational school, university) being treated as senior employees. The status difference between factory workers and employees (employees) was manifested as a stark disparity in various areas of labor management, such as wage amount, wage type (for example, factory workers were paid a daily wage and employees were paid a monthly wage), and the use of welfare benefits. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to the "educational status system" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…工員は，平工(並工)，三等職工，二等職工，一等職工，職員は，準社員，社員などに区分されていた。職制秩序の職位と身分制秩序は，対応関係にあるとともに，義務教育(小学校)修了者は工員，中等教育(中学校，実業学校)修了者は初･中級職員，高等教育(専門学校，大学)修了者は上級職員に処遇するというように，両者は主として学歴によって格付けが決められていた(学歴別身分制)。工員と職員(社員)との身分差は，賃金額，賃金形態(たとえば，工員は日給，職員は月給など)，福利厚生の利用など労務管理上の各領域における厳然たる格差として現れていた。…

※「学歴別身分制」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報