The rise of poverty in Japan: the emergence of the working poor
The rise of poverty in Japan: the emergence of the working poor
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日本贫困率上升：工作穷人的出现
DOI：
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发表时间：
2008
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
K. Komamura
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
K. Komamura
日本没有官方的“贫困线”，因此也没有关于贫困的官方统计数据。在实践中，公共援助的“最低生活标准”（低于此标准可以申请生活津贴）被用来计算贫困率，或经合组织指数，其定义为人口收入中位数的50%。政府尚未对日本目前的贫困状况进行全面调查。经济财政省在2006年的年度报告中，对OECD对日本贫困率的估计提出了质疑，OECD对2000年日本的相对贫困率的估计为15.3%，在OECD国家中排名第五。关于绝对贫困问题，该部的报告指出，“从绝对贫困的角度来看，很难说日本目前面临着严峻的问题”。然而，一些经济学家的研究表明，极低收入人口的增加令人担忧;与此同时，目前的社会保障和公共援助等安全网在个人范围内存在巨大差距。此外，根据几位经济学家的说法，例如公共援助的救济不超过对有需要家庭的估计的16%至20%。这意味着，有相当多的低收入家庭没有得到国家的救济，尽管他们需要援助。贫困不仅仅是收入问题。著名经济学家阿马蒂亚·森将其定义为“能力剥夺”。事实上，贫穷往往涉及，
Japan has no official “poverty line,” and subsequently no official statistics on poverty. In practice, the public assistance’s “minimum standard of living” (below which subsistence benefits can be claimed) is used to calculate the poverty rate, or the OECD index, which is defined as 50% of the population’s median income. No comprehensive survey has yet been conducted by the government on the current state of poverty in Japan. In its annual report for 2006, the Ministry in charge of economic and fiscal policy, incidentally questioned the OECD’s estimations on Japan’s poverty rate; the OECD had assessed Japan’s relative poverty rate in 2000 to be 15.3%, the fifth highest ratio amongst OECD countries. Regarding absolute poverty, the Ministry’s report stated that “from the viewpoint of absolute poverty, it is difficult to state that Japan is currently facing a severe issue.” However, studies by several economists reveal a worrying increase in the very low-income population; this is accompanied by the fact that current safety nets such as social security and public assistance have large gaps in their personal scope. Also, according to several economists relief by public assistance for example does not surpass 16% to 20% of the estimations on families in need. This means that there are a significant number of families with low incomes and who do not receive relief from the State, although they are in need of assistance. Poverty is not only a matter of income. The famous economist, Amartya Sen, has defined it as a “capacity deprivation”. Indeed, poverty often involves,