It is important to create a stable work environment for professionals who watch over the growth of children and support the lives of elderly people. Wages for these staff need to be raised to an appropriate level to secure personnel.
The government has decided on a draft supplementary budget for the current fiscal year totaling 35.9 trillion yen. The budget includes spending to raise the wages of such professionals as childcare workers, nursing care staff and nurses from next February.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida advocates a "new form of capitalism" and has come up with policies that emphasize investments in people. By first raising the income of childcare workers and others whose salaries are paid with public funds, the prime minister is said to be aiming to achieve higher wages throughout the private sector.
The government wants to raise the salaries of childcare workers and nursing care staff by 9,000 yen per month, and of nurses who deal with the novel coronavirus by 4,000 yen per month.
The government has made efforts to improve the treatment of childcare workers and nursing care staff in the past, but the results have been far from satisfactory. The average wage in 2020 was 302,000 yen per month for childcare workers and 293,000 yen per month for nursing care staff, which are still below the average for all industries.
With more women working and Japan's population graying, there is strong demand for childcare and nursing care. However, there is a chronic shortage of labor, and it is essential that remunerations are steadily raised to secure the necessary personnel.
The question is whether the wage hikes will definitely be passed on to frontline employees. According to the Board of Audit, it has been revealed that there were more than 300 facilities that received funds for wage increases for childcare workers through past policy measures but did not use them to improve wages.
Even if a large amount of money is injected, it is meaningless if the funds do not lead to wage increases. The government must examine the inadequacies of the policy measures taken in the past and create an effective mechanism.
Some nursing homes have said the paperwork for regulatory filing is too complicated. The government needs to reduce the administrative burden while establishing a system to ascertain whether wage payments are made properly.
Wage hikes under the supplementary budget will last only until September next year, and drastic measures will be needed to continue the increase.
To that end, the government has set up a panel of experts to evaluate prices determined by the government and plans to finalize specific measures by the end of the year.
Childcare is funded by tax money and user fees, while nursing care is funded by financial resources including nursing care insurance premiums, and the facilities receive funds based on the price determined by the government.
If the wages of staff involved in childcare and nursing care increase, the necessary costs will increase accordingly. The government should present its outlook and seek the public's understanding on how to balance the burden on the people.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 28, 2021.
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