The principal subsidies related to employment provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare are listed below. (As of December 2001.)
1. Assistance for Employers Hiring New Personnel

- Employment Creation Personnel Maintenance Aid Subsidy for Small and Midsize Enterprises

The employment creation personnel maintenance aid subsidy for small and midsize enterprises is available to small and midsize enterprises that have submitted an improvement plan to the prefectural governor and received certification. It can be paid for a maximum of eight employees per enterprise and applies to personnel it was necessary for the enterprise (either a newly established firm or a firm seeking to diversify its business activities) to newly hire in order to enter into a new field of business based on the improvement plan. The subsidy is equal to one-fourth the average wage paid to employees of the applicant and may be received for a maximum of six months.

 

- Employment Creation Personnel Management Aid Subsidy for Small and Midsize Enterprises

The employment creation personnel management aid subsidy for small and midsize enterprises is available to small and midsize enterprises that have submitted an improvement plan to the prefectural governor and received certification. To qualify, the enterprise (either a newly established firm or a firm seeking to diversify its business activities) must have implemented improvements to its personnel management system while entering into a new field of business based on the improvement plan; the targets specified in the improvement plan must have been met; and new personnel must have been hired. The subsidy is equal to one-third the expenses required to implement the personnel management improvements (up to a maximum of ¥1 million).

 

- Highly Qualified Personnel Maintenance Aid Subsidy for Small and Midsize Enterprises

The highly qualified personnel maintenance aid subsidy for small and midsize enterprises is available both to individual small and midsize enterprises that have submitted an improvement plan to the prefectural governor and received certification, and to constituent small and midsize enterprises belonging to a business association that has received such certification (henceforth, "certified small and midsize enterprises"). It can be paid for a maximum of three employees per enterprise and applies to highly qualified personnel (henceforth, "applicable personnel") it was necessary for the enterprise (a newly established firm; a firm seeking to diversify its business activities; or a firm developing a new product, endeavoring to increase added value, or expand sales channels) to accept in order to develop a new field of business based on the improvement plan. The subsidy is equal to one-third the average wage paid by the applicant to applicable personnel and may be received for a maximum of one year.

 

- Working Environment Enhancement Subsidy for Small and Midsize Enterprises

The working environment enhancement subsidy for small and midsize enterprises is available both to individual small and midsize enterprises that have submitted an improvement plan to the prefectural governor and received certification and to constituent small and midsize enterprises belonging to a business association that has received such certification (henceforth, "certified small and midsize enterprises"). To qualify, the enterprise must have installed facilities aimed at enhancing its working environment or installed or upgraded facilities aimed at improving the welfare of its employees (henceforth, "working environment enhancements") based on the improvement plan, and new personnel must have been hired. The amount of the subsidy is based on the expenses required to install or upgrade the facilities as well as the number of new applicable personnel.

 

- Special Employment Creation Subsidies for New and High-growth-potential Fields

These subsidies are available to business owners in various fields, particularly 15 new and high-growth-potential fields expected to create new employment opportunities. To qualify, the business owner must implement accelerated hiring of middle-aged and elderly persons who have been released involuntarily from their previous employment due to unavoidable circumstances or provide occupational training, especially on-the-job training, to such persons. There are two types of special employment creation subsidy for new and high-growth-potential fields: the employment subsidy for new and high-growth-potential fields and the skill development subsidy for new and high-growth-potential fields.

 

List of Applicable New and High-growth-potential Fields

1. Healthcare and public welfare related fields
2. Lifestyle and culture related fields
3. IT and telecommunications related fields
4. New manufacturing technology related fields
5. Distribution and shipping related fields
6. Environment related fields
7. Business support service related fields
8. Ocean related fields
9. Biotechnology related fields
10. Urban environment enhancement related fields
11. Aerospace (civilian) related fields
12. New energy and energy conservation related fields
13. Human resources related fields
14. Internationalization related fields
15. Household service related fields
16. Other:
Subsidies based on the Law for Promoting Creative Activity by Small and Midsize Enterprises
Subsidies based on the Law for Supporting Promoting Management Innovation by Small and Midsize Enterprises

- Nursing Personnel Maintenance Aid Subsidy

Certified business owners who newly employ personnel in order to provide new services in the nursing field qualify for this subsidy, which covers either one-half or one-third of the wages paid.

2. Other

- Employment Adjustment Aid Subsidy

This subsidy is available to business owners who, due to a contraction in their business activities caused by economic reasons related to fluctuating business cycles or changes in the industrial structure, have unavoidably had to place on leave (leave from work or assignment to training sessions) or transfer employees. It covers a portion of the leave allowance and wages of employees placed on leave, or a portion of the wages of transferred employees, and is intended to prevent said employees from becoming unemployed.

 

- Aid Subsidies to Support Transfer of Labor

Aid subsidies to support transfer of labor are available to business owners who have submitted a reemployment assistance plan to the director of the public employment office and received certification. Aid subsidies are provided to employers providing paid time off from work to personnel, who are to be released involuntarily from their jobs due to unavoidable circumstances, so that they can seek new employment, and also to employers providing training or instruction to newly employed personnel, who have been released involuntarily from their previous jobs due to unavoidable circumstances, in order to provide them with the knowledge or skills required to perform their new duties. In addition, aid subsidies are available to organizations such as groups of owners of small or midsize enterprises that put into place systems for distributing information on reemployment assistance to owners of small or midsize enterprises and providing other assistance such as consultations.

There are three types of aid subsidy to support transfer of labor: the subsidy to support employment seeking activities, the subsidy for establishment of systems to support transfer of labor, and the subsidy to support training for long-term employment.