Poverty rate for single-parent households is 54%

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Poverty rate for single-parent households is 54%

The comparative poverty rate for single-parent households in Japan reached 54.3 percent in 2006, the highest among developed countries.

Welfare Parliamentary Secretary Yamanoi Kazunori said on November 13 at a news conference, “It’s shameful that the figure is the worst among the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).”

The main reason behind this is that, he said, “Many single-parent households in Japan have difficulty in getting full-time regular jobs while having to take care of children, and thus have to accept temporary or part-time jobs.”

- Akahata, November 14, 2009