任期制自衛官の給与引き上げ　来年度に新採用枠―防衛省案

　政府は２６日、自衛官の処遇改善を話し合う関係閣僚会議（議長・石破茂首相）の第３回会合を首相官邸で開いた。２～３年の任期制自衛官の確保策として、現行の「自衛官候補生」制度を廃止し、給与水準を引き上げた新たな採用枠を創設する案が防衛省から示された。
　自衛官候補生は自衛官の身分を持たず、採用後約３カ月間の基礎訓練を経て最下位の階級の「２士」として任官する。初めから自衛官として入隊する「一般曹候補生」や警察官などと比べて初任給が低く、採用状況が特に厳しい。
　新たな制度では、自衛官候補生も当初から自衛官として採用。初任給を現在の月額１５万７０００円から、一般曹候補生と同等の１９万８８００円とする。２０２５年度に募集を始めるとしている。（2024/11/26-20:36）

Japan's Defense Ministry presented a plan Tuesday to abolish the current system of Self-Defense Forces personnel candidates and create a new recruitment system with a higher salary level, in order to secure enough fixed-term SDF personnel.
   The plan was shown at the government's third ministerial meeting on improving the treatment of SDF members, held at the prime minister's office.
   SDF candidates, the starting status for those seeking two- to three-year positions in the SDF, do not have the status of SDF personnel. They only earn the lowest rank after roughly three months of basic training.
   They have lower starting salaries than so-called general candidates for lower-ranking officers, who are given the status of SDF member from the outset, and police officers. This makes recruiting for the position particularly difficult.
   Under the new system, SDF candidates will also be employed as SDF personnel from the beginning. Their starting salaries will be raised from 157,000 yen per month to 198,800 yen per month, equivalent to those of general candidates.