Due to low pay and a dwindling workforce in an ageing society, facilities for disabled persons in Japan are experiencing severe manpower shortages.
This was one of the primary findings of a recent study conducted by Kyosaren, a disability advocacy organisation in Japan, which examined 1,047 institutions across the country, including organisations offering career aid, life nursing care, and child development assistance.
According to the poll, just 53.5% of regular staff positions at such institutions were filled in fiscal 2022, according to The Japan Times. According to the survey, this was lower than the average of 81.3% at private enterprises and government organisations recruiting new graduates this year.
“The chronic shortages of employees have a direct impact on those who use such facilities,” the organisation claimed, citing changes to bathing amenities at group homes and reduced hours for nurse home visits as examples.
“The labour shortages will clearly reduce necessary assistance for people with disabilities and cause a situation that prevents them from living a normal life,” the report concluded.
Furthermore, the study was conducted as the group, along with around 1,860 other groups in Japan, seeks an increase in public financing for social services for disabled persons. The government aims to change its funding level next year for the first time in three years.
According to the article, numerous institutions are struggling to locate young staff, and the increasing workload has forced several present employees to retire.
Lastly, Kyosaren argued that the government’s small investment in disability policies has resulted in low wages for employees in the sector, and he urged the government to find a “fundamental solution to the labour shortage and improving working conditions by increasing its spending on related expenses to a level exceeding 2% of GDP.”
