雇用保険料、来年度引き上げ　コロナで財源枯渇―政府

　政府は失業手当などに充てる雇用保険料を２０２２年度に引き上げる方針を固め、上げ幅の調整に入った。新型コロナウイルス感染拡大で、雇用維持に協力した企業に支払う雇用調整助成金（雇調金）の支給が急増。雇用保険の財源が枯渇し、労働者と事業主に負担増を求める必要があると判断した。年末に向けて本格化した来年度予算編成作業で詰めの協議を行う。
　雇用保険は、労使が負担する保険料のほか、国の一般会計から支出する国庫負担などで賄われる。今年度の保険料率は、労働者が賃金総額の０．３％、事業主が０．６％。本来は労働者が０．６％、事業主が０．９５％だが、積立金が一定水準を超えていたことなどから、料率を引き下げている。
　しかし、雇調金の支給増で積立金が底を突き、料率引き上げが避けられなくなった。景気の足踏み状態が続き、労使ともに大幅な負担増を懸念していることを踏まえ、政府内では来年度の料率を労働者０．５％、事業主０．８５％とする案が浮上している。（2021/12/05-14:33）

The Japanese government plans to raise employment insurance premiums in fiscal 2022, which starts in April, and is holding discussions to decide the size of increase, it was learned Sunday.
   The employment insurance system is running low on its financial resources after a surge in employment adjustment subsidy payments to companies to partially cover leave allowances they pay to furloughed workers amid the novel coronavirus crisis.
   The government, therefore, decided to ask for greater premium payments from both employers and employees. It will accelerate talks during work to compile the fiscal 2022 budget toward the year-end.
   The employment insurance system is mostly financed by premiums paid by employers and employees as well as contributions from the government's general account.
   The premium rate for the current fiscal year is set at 0.3 of overall wages for employees and 0.6 pct for employers. The rates were reduced from the original levels of 0.6 pct for employees and 0.95 pct for employers, as the system had more than enough reserve funds.