Aging population and low birth rate are two major issues in Japan nowadays. The age gap between the working class and children is getting farther and wider. One cause of this is the low percentage of women giving birth. As a result, the percentage of the working class continuously decreasing with a forecast that manpower will soon be scarce.
The Japanese government is aware of this and continuously strives to find permanent solution to such problem. Recently, the government was able to come up with an answer in order to combat low birth rate until the year 2020. The focus of this is men, wherein they are given the benefit of taking a paternity leave after one’s wife gave birth. It is being proposed that 80% of men will be given the chance to avail of such benefit.
Aside from this, the government is also coming up with other solutions to help increase birth rate such as match making efforts, getting men involved in child care and making them good providers for their families having at least 3 children. Furthermore, this also aims to give mothers the chance to get back to work and increase the percentage from 38% in 2010. Another step that the government is now taking is the increase in child care facilities, which working mothers can depend for help.
At this time, Japan’s hope is for fertility rate to increase by the year 2030. If this happens, the decline in the population may cease at about 100 million.
