The government and the ruling coalition are considering using taxpayer money to boost the salaries of caregivers in an attempt to alleviate the staffing shortage in the nursing industry, sources said.
The new measure will be included in fresh economic stimulus steps so the government can disburse the money by the end of fiscal 2009 next March, the sources said Thursday.
The amount of public funds needed to cover the measure will be around ¥100 billion a year, or ¥15,000 to ¥20,000 a month per caregiver, the sources said, without elaborating on caregiver numbers.
The government and the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc is also considering subsidizing the construction of special nursing homes for the elderly to boost the construction industry and create new jobs, the sources said.