Japan's employment rate of persons with disabilities and outcome of employment quota system

Abstract

Although there is no strict international definition of persons with disabilities, I examined the employment situation of persons with disabilities in Japan in this paper using government statistics and statistical surveys by the U.S. and international organizations. The appearance ratio of persons with disabilities is 10% of the world’s population while in Japan it is only 5%. It suggests that Japan puts a narrow definition on persons with disabilities. It was also found that Japan’s employment rate of working-age persons with disabilities is relatively higher than other countries. From an international standpoint, there are two approaches to expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities: introduction of (i) a legal system on the antidiscrimination law and (ii) an employment quota system (legally-prescribed minimum employment rate system). Japan has introduced the latter approach. Looking at changes in the number of persons with disabilities working for companies which are covered by the employment quota system for 16 years, the system has brought about substantial results. On the contrary, the employment rate of persons with disabilities in the U.S. which has a typical antidiscrimination law, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is lower than that of Japan and the employment rate has not really increased even after the introduction of ADA. It was confirmed that the strengthening of a typical antidiscrimination law for persons with disabilities does not necessarily bring about the expansion of job opportunities for them.