日本公共年金制度之所得保障問題與觀察

Pensioners’ Income Security in the Japanese Public Pension System

在社會福利政策上，日本較其他東北亞國家更早落實普及式的年金保險及健康保險制度。日本的年金制度屬於雙層制的公共年金。其兩層制度之一為國民年金，即基礎年金，不論職業別皆須加入的年金制度；另一則為厚生年金，為職業年金，依照職業別及保險人的差異而產生保障差異。日本年金制度從1980年代以降，不斷的從各方面進行整合與緊縮的改革，年金的保障程度越趨弱化，甚至部分的老人即使有年金的狀況下仍需要接受社會救助的扶助。本文乃從日本年金的制度發展介紹開始，探討現行日本年金制度對於高齡者所得安全保障的程度、年金制度對於彈性化勞動型態的因應能力，以及日本民眾對於年金制度的不信任等進行觀察與討論，期待日本經驗可以提供臺灣年金改革借鏡與省思。 Japan was the earliest welfare state among the countries of Northeast Asia, specifically in regard to its universal pension and health insurance systems. In Japan, the mandatory pension system includes the National Pension System and Employees’ Pension Insurance System. The insurance benefit of the National Pension System is a fixed payment for basic life expenditure. Payment of the Employees’ Pension Insurance System is dependent on the insurer and accumulated insurance of the employee in question. Following the economic depression of the 1980s, the protection offered by the pension system has deteriorated. Thus, pension recipients often fall into poverty and must rely on social assistance systems. This article discusses the protection offered by the Japanese pension system for retirees’ income security and how the system can adapt to changes toward a flexible labor market. Finally, this article examines the decline in trust in the public pension system among Japanese people. The Japanese experience could serve as a useful reference for pension reform in Taiwan.

Japan was the earliest welfare state among the countries of Northeast Asia, specifically in regard to its universal pension and health insurance systems. In Japan, the mandatory pension system includes the National Pension System and Employees’ Pension Insurance System. The insurance benefit of the National Pension System is a fixed payment for basic life expenditure. Payment of the Employees’ Pension Insurance System is dependent on the insurer and accumulated insurance of the employee in question. Following the economic depression of the 1980s, the protection offered by the pension system has deteriorated. Thus, pension recipients often fall into poverty and must rely on social assistance systems. This article discusses the protection offered by the Japanese pension system for retirees’ income security and how the system can adapt to changes toward a flexible labor market. Finally, this article examines the decline in trust in the public pension system among Japanese people. The Japanese experience could serve as a useful reference for pension reform in Taiwan.