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The deterioration of the labor market from the 1990s onwards led to a sharp rise in individual labor disputes. The public authorities became aware of a major institutional shortfall in this area and, in 2001, adopted major administrative and legal reforms. The most important of these were the establishment of prefectural offices for advice, conciliation, and mediation, the creation of a new labor tribunal, and the adoption of a law on work contracts. Despite these pro-employee reforms, the number of people using them remains relatively low, probably due to the costs involved in court procedures.