Japan's population began to shrink in 2005 and society continued to grow older. That year, people aged 60 or older accounted for 21 percent of the population, making Japan one of the grayest countries in the world. Taking these factors into consideration, the 2006 welfare and labor white paper compiled by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry focuses on the future shape of the economy, community and family.
It calls for reviewing conditions in the workplace, community and family so that a "circulation of mutual support" develops in these segments of society. The final goal is to enable people to gain a sense of security and accomplishment. Many problems must be solved to achieve that goal.
Perhaps priority should be placed on ensuring stable employment for both young and elderly people -- including women who have quit work to bear and raise children -- and making the nation's social security system reliable and sustainable. The white paper points out that the unemployment rate -- 4.4 percent in 2005 -- is still high.