The law promoting employment for people with disabilities obliges companies and government organizations to hire those with physical, intellectual or mental impairments for a certain portion of their workforce. The target was raised in April from 2 percent to 2.2 percent of total staff at firms that employ at least 46 workers, and from 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent at national and local government organs. The number of people with disabilities on the payroll in the private sector reached a record 495,000 as of June 2017, up 4.5 percent from a year earlier, and the government has set a target of increasing the number to 585,000 by 2022.

But challenges remain to achieve a steady rise in job opportunities for people with disabilities. They make up 1.97 percent of the workforce at companies obliged to meet the target. While roughly half of such companies have achieved the 2 percent goal, the other half have not — and the figure tends to decrease in accordance with the size of the company.

Compared with people with physical and intellectual disabilities, those with mental health issues tend to stay on the job for a shorter period. Both private sector companies and government organizations need to make further efforts to provide stable employment for people with disabilities that fit their specific conditions and make the best of their individual skills.