The Present and Future of the Social Security System from the Perspective of Self-Employed Workers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues for reconstructing the social security system by describing the reality of self-employment in the face of the Corona crisis. Specifically, first, what is the actual situation of the self-employed, and second, who are the people whose living conditions have worsened particularly, based on the social survey data conducted to understand the relationship between self-employment and social security systems. Third, I analyze who received the sustainability benefit, one of the emergent support measures, and what impact the use of the system had on their businesses and lives. The main results of the analysis show that the pandemic affects self-employed individuals differently depending on gender and family structure, and that the use of emergent support measures does not necessarily improve business prospects. In light of these findings, I would like to present what I consider to be the key issues in examining “the future of social policy”, which is the purpose of the common theme.