Japan Firms Face Need to Improve Jobs for Disabled Workers

Tokyo, July 6 (Jiji Press)--Companies in Japan face the need to improve job opportunities and work environments for people with disabilities, after the statutory minimum employment rate for such people was raised to 2.7 pct from 2.5 pct on Wednesday.

Even before the hike, based on the law to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities, only less than half of companies had reached the minimum rate. Companies need to ensure not only sufficient employment opportunities for people with disabilities but also the quality of their employment.

Nomura Kagayaki Co., a special subsidiary of securities giant Nomura Holdings Inc., is working to expand the scope of work for employees with mental and other disabilities. It handles operations entrusted to it by group companies such as mail sorting, document digitization and message card creation.

The number of departments consigning work to the subsidiary has increased fivefold from the previous year to 108 in fiscal 2025.

In the year, which ended in March this year, the subsidiary introduced a system enabling employees to transfer to other Nomura group companies.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]