Examining the connection between employment/labour market policies and social security systems

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01971
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022-2023); Osaka City University (2021); Tokai University (2018-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Hirose Mariko 大阪公立大学, 大学院経済学研究科, 客員研究員 (50289948)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 下平 好博 明星大学, 人文学部, 教授 (40235685) ; 小渕 高志 東北文化学園大学, 現代社会学部, 准教授 (10405938)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 福祉国家改革 / 就労最優先策 / 稼働貧困 / 最低生活保障 / 社会保険制度 / 公的扶助制度 / 非正規労働者 / 自営業者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent neoliberal reforms in welfare states have emphasised employment-first policies, especially for improving employment mobility and promoting the diversification of employment patterns. However, the EU member states and Japan have seen an increasing trend of unstable employment in the population. This has led to an increase in ‘in-work poverty’, the proportion of part-time, non-regular, and freelance workers who cannot live a stable life despite being employed. Furthermore, the actual employment status of these people does not match that of the current social insurance system; they may not be covered by the system. Detailed responses are required, such as developing a tax credit system that includes benefits (negative income tax) and guarantees a minimum standard of living.
Based on the above, this report analyses the transformation of the welfare state from various angles and considers specific improvement measures through the examples of EU member states and Japan.

Free Research Field

社会法学　社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義としては、国際比較の視点に立って考察することにより、視野を広げた議論から論点を整理できたことである。たとえば、最低生活保障水準について複数の客観的な指標を設けている福祉国家の事例は、これからの日本の社会保障制度改革の具体的な方法について検討する際に参考になるものといえよう。社会的意義については、産業政策としての福祉政策という新たな視点が引き出されるとともに、貧困撲滅のためのさまざまな政策のインプリケーションが示されたことにある。