Various poverty along with changes in labor market and family: factors, consequences, and measures of poverty

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03712
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public finance/Public economy
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Ueda Atsuko 早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, 教授 (00264581)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 名方 佳寿子 摂南大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (70611044)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 労働経済学 / 貧困

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Data analysis applying micro-econometrics was conducted using micro-data at household or individual level including national surveys. As a result, households facing relatively high poverty risk include those with the heads of single-mother, woman, not regularly employed, and less-educated. Poor households face disadvantageous circumstances in various aspects including assets, household expenditures, education of children, and health conditions. In terms of a policy effect, it is found that the child allowance increases child expenses of low-income households. The analyses find the relation between criminal activities and poverty and economic factors such as low-education, no fixed residence, or unemployed. The analyses also find that low-income earners are affected by Covid-19 more than others, and that parental incomes are related to academic achievements of children.

Free Research Field

経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

貧困問題は社会的な関心を集めている問題であるが、質的分析や各種統計調査の集計結果による研究が多い。本課題では、複数種類の個票データを対象として計量分析を実施し，多様な類型の貧困の諸要因と生活や犯罪への影響を量的に明らかとしたことに学術的・社会的意義をもつ。貧困の要因としては，母子世帯や女性，非正規雇用，教育水準などが指摘されるが，世帯や個人レベルの個票データを対象計量分析を行うことで，これらのいずれも貧困要因であることが示された。同様に，犯罪と貧困の関連や新型コロナの低所得世帯への影響などについて経済学の視座から量的分析結果の提供を行ったことに社会的意義がある。