Abstract
In Japan, where equal treatment of employees of different categories of employment has yet to be established, the expansion of "irregular" employees, exposed to greater risks of unemployment and lower wages, has become visible in the current explosion of the working poor population. This is a major issue in Japanese society today. This expansion is making it harder and harder a) for workers to develop vocational skills and pass them down to future generations, and b) to secure a labor force for future generations. Thus, resolving the working poor problem is crucial not just for workers but for employers as well. The report summarizes the reports and discussions of the 117^<th> conference of the Society for the Study of Social Policy, whose theme was problems of the working poor. The summary divides what was presented at the convention into two major categories, the current condition of the working poor and related policies, and also includes this author's opinions. In doing so, in the category of current conditions, the author considers characteristics of the jobs and employment of the working poor and the new potential of the labor movement, in addition to statistical information. Then, with regard to policy, the author seeks to identify approaches to alleviate the problems of the working poor from three perspectives: the relationship between minimum wages and the public livelihood assistance, policies to achieve work-life balance, and gender equality.
