Labor force forecast to plummet by 2050

Japan's labor force is expected to plunge to 42.28 million in 2050 from 66.57 million in 2006 if participation by women and the elderly does not increase and the aging of the population continues, a government paper warned Tuesday.

The annual white paper on the falling birthrate, approved by the Cabinet, predicts that the labor force will shrink to 55.84 million in 2030. However, the fall could be smaller and the figure kept at around 61.80 million if proper steps are taken to promote labor participation of all people willing to work.

Emphasizing the importance — more than ever before — of maintaining a healthy work-life balance to stabilize the nation's workforce, this year's white paper introduces concrete numerical targets that were decided at a meeting in December among government and business officials as well as labor unions.

The white paper stresses that Japan should turn itself into a society in which each individual can be economically independent through employment; a society in which time for a healthy life is ensured; and a society in which various lifestyles and ways of working are available.

"The government had previously left the task of promoting a better work-life balance to individual companies, but we determined that society as a whole needs to tackle the issue," said Akira Imai, a Cabinet Office official in charge of promoting measures to tackle the declining birthrate.

Among the numerical targets, the government has said it will aim to boost the employment rate of women aged 25 to 44 from the current 64.9 percent to between 69 percent and 72 percent by 2017 and that of people aged 60 to 64 from 52.6 percent to between 60 percent and 61 percent.

It will also seek to raise the ratio of male office workers who take child-care leave to 10 percent by 2017 from the current 0.5 percent and their daily child-care time to 2.5 hours from 1 hour.

The ratio of employees who work more than 60 hours a week should be halved from 10.8 percent, the paper said.