2025 Volume 24 Pages 153-167
According to recent research on active labor market policies (ALMPs), it is effective to involve employers in ALMPs for supporting vulnerable people in the labor market. This paper examines how Japanese local governments have established policy implementation systems to encourage employers’ engagement in a national programme for “Support for Self-Reliance of Needy Persons”, based on data from a questionnaire survey and interviews targeting local governments in Osaka Prefecture. We set the following two research questions: [RQ1] How many local governments in Osaka Prefecture are implementing employment policies that involve employers? and [RQ2] What innovative methods have local governments utilized to get employers engaged in employment policies? Regarding RQ1, although many local governments in Osaka Prefecture have adopted a ‘vacancy-centred approach’ to employment support services, a significant number of local governments are also implementing employment support projects in cooperation with local employers. Regarding RQ2, we analyzed a case in Toyonaka City at a Dash Work Creation Centre. Our results show that a ‘candidate-centred approach’ can bring multiple benefits to both job seekers (candidates) and employers. The number of local governments that have adopted this approach is limited, but the beginnings of the approach were observed in one other local government. Finally, we discuss the potential of the ‘candidate-centred approach’ and the challenges of expanding this approach to other local governments.
