生活保護世帯、２６年ぶりに減　１８年度、雇用状況改善で―厚労省

　厚生労働省は４日、２０１８年度の生活保護受給世帯数（月平均）が前年度比０．２％減の１６３万７４２２世帯になったと発表した。前年度と比べ減少したのは２６年ぶり。同省は近年の雇用状況の改善が影響したとみている。
　受給者数（同）は１．３％減の２０９万６８３８人となった。一時的な保護停止を除く受給世帯の内訳を見ると、「高齢者」が２．０％増の８８万２０２２世帯で前年度よりも増えた一方、高齢者以外は「母子」が６．４％減の８万６５７９世帯、「障害者・傷病者」が１．７％減の４１万２２８２世帯といずれも減少した。（2020/03/04-12:35）

The monthly average number of households on welfare in Japan in fiscal 2018 fell 0.2 pct from the previous year to 1,637,422, down for the first time in 26 years, the welfare ministry said Wednesday.
   The ministry believes that the drop reflected improved conditions in the job market in recent years.
   In the fiscal year that ended in March last year, the average monthly number of people who received welfare benefits fell 1.3 pct to 2,096,838.
   Excluding households on welfare whose payments were suspended, the number of households with elderly recipients rose 2.0 pct to 882,022, while the number of recipient households consisting only of mothers and their children fell 6.4 pct to 86,579. Households with disabled, injured or sick recipients totaled 412,282, down 1.7 pct.
   Of the reasons for starting to receive welfare benefits in fiscal 2018, 38.8 pct, the largest group, cited a lack of savings, followed by 23.4 pct who cited injuries or illnesses.