September 24, 2010

The number of people receiving welfare assistance has exceeded 1.9 million for the first time since 1955.

According to the Welfare Ministry, as of June this year, 1,907,176 people are living on welfare assistance. The number is about 208,000 more than one year ago.

A rapid increase in welfare assistance recipients has been witnessed since December 2008. For the one and half years since then, nearly 300,000 people have started receiving public welfare assistance.

Amid the financial crisis following the bankruptcy filed by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and massive corporate dismissals of temporary workers, 10,000 or 20,000 people each month become additional welfare assistance recipients.
- Akahata, September 24, 2010