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These days, the word ‘working poor’ becomes popular in Japanese society. Almost every week, many TV programs feature the real life of working poor and books which relate to working poor fill with book store’s shelves. For example, the book which is named ‘The working poor’ introduces miserable working poor’s living of 55 years man who used to be systems engineer (Kadokura 76). These trends show that more and more people come to think seriously about poverty what we call working poor. There are many definition of working poor. For instance, according to Iwata, working poor is defined as people who can’t earn enough money to live in spite of their hard working (Iwata 16). On the other hands, United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics define the working poor differently, the working poor are individuals who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (working or looking for work), but whose incomes fell below the official poverty level (U.S. Department of Labor). Also International Labor Organization define the working poor in detail, working poor are workers who live under two dollars. This article employs Iwata’s definition of the working poor because it seems most preferable to Japanese situation. This paper will argue that the working poor in Japan society is problem because it deprives people of human dignity, causes exploding cost of social insurance and accelerate declining birth rate in Japan.

Ⅰ. Situations of Working Poor

Working poor are very pessimistic about their future because their standard of living is very low and it seems that there is no exit of poverty. According to Iwata who studies about poverty and welfare policy, there are bad cycles of poverty (Iwata 138). These days expenses for education are increasing (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan). However, working poor can’t investment themselves for education and they have poor academic career (Iwata 141). In the education-conscious society, Japan, working poor can’t get highly-income job. Poor educational background and low-paid job force working poor remain working poor. Marlene support this idea in the journal, ‘We conclude that rather than being poor because of their own bad choices or behavior, the working poor are destitute because of the particular jobs they hold, which tend to be in low-paid service occupations and industries’ (Marlene).　Most of working poor are irregular workers. They work as day labor. They register at temporary employment agency (such as Good Will or Interigence) and get the jobs from this company. However, they can not always get the job when they want to work and their daily wages are very low (NHK 33). Therefore, they are forced to live a day-to-day existence. Working poor can’t rent an apartment because they can’t save enough money to rent (Kadokura 34). They stay at net-café or first food shop during night time and they have no address. This fact makes working poor difficult to apply the job which earn enough money to live. They continue to work as day labor. Working poor can’t prospect for the future. This makes them very pessimistic.

Working poor from social aspects are also suggests pessimistic futureof society. The numbers of people who are classed as lower income group which can get livelihood protection from government as welfare are increasing (Japan, Social Insurance Agency). Transitions of social insurance cost between 1970 and 2005 in Japan are bellow.

In 2005, total social insurance cost increase 2.3 per cent than last year. According to Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, total insurance cost in 2005 is 879,150 billion yen however, it's estimated that total insurance cost in 2025 is 1410,000billion, almost twise than 2005 (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare). This ammount of money which relate to social insurance deserve 25 per cent of national income (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare). This tendency of increasing cost of social insurance can't stop if working poor increase.

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However, this welfare is too little for people to escape from working poor. In Japan lowest cost of living minus income is given as welfare (Social Insurance Agency). For example 20 years person who live in Tokyo is guaranteed 40,000 yen as cost of living. On the other hands, expenses of welfare have big pressure onnational expenditure. This social insurance schemes can not be drasticsolution of working poor problem. Both working poor and expenditure whichrelates to welfare will increase in the future.

Working poor have tendency to have no spouse and no children. This is almost because they economically can’t keep a family. Working poor have no money to bring up their own children. They give up marriage for financial reason. For example, 30 years old woman who works part-time said, ‘I want to make my family and child. However I can’t have both because I don’t have enough income to support family and child’. Low incomes make working poor single.

Ⅱ. Problems of Working Poor

First problem which caused by working poor is that people who areclassed as working poor lose their dignity as human being. Harshliving standard and uneasy prospect of future deprive people ofdesire for live. Also working poor feel that they alienated fromsociety because their effort to improve their life has never beenrewarded. This alienation hurt human dignity.

Second, exploding social insurance cost will be caused by workingpoor. Increasing numbers of working poor mean the expansion of welfare cost. For instance, local government of Tokyo adds 97 billionyen to expenditure in this year in order to support working pooreconomically. Expansion of expenditure leads to budget deficit.

Third, working poor accelerates declining birth rate in Japan. As Isaid above, working poor have tendency to have no children and thiscauses deterioration of declining birth rate.

Ⅲ. Possible Solutions

In order to protect working poor’s human dignity, government should offer public job to working poor. Particular administration services can be offered by private sector. By employing working poor in order to provide such services, working poor can get stable job and feel a sense of belonging to their own community. Stable job give working poor ease. A sense of belonging removes alienation from working poor.

By reforming social insurance schemes, social insurance cost can be reduced. From now on, social insurances pay money to low income people. However this type of social insurance can’t be drastic solution. Instead of giving money to poor people, social insurance should offer job training to working poor.

Lastly, job sharing is available to improve declining birth rate. Regular worker earn much money comparable to working poor. However they also tend not to have child because they don’t have much time to bring up their child. Sharing their hard work with working poor gives merit to both regular workers and working poor. Regular workers can get time to bring up their child. Working poor can get money to bring up their child. Job sharing brings regular workers and working poor win-win relationships.

Working poor is problem because it hurts human dignity, causesexploding welfare cost and accelerates declining birth rate. However,these problems can be reduced by giving public job, reforming socialinsurance schemes and job sharing.