Almost 2.06 million people were living on welfare benefits as of August, marking an all-time high for the second straight month, the welfare ministry said Tuesday in a preliminary report.
The precise total, 2,059,871, represented a rise of 9,376 from the previous high marked in July, when the record dating back to 1951 was broken.
Officials at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said the number of welfare recipients could continue to increase due to the aging of the population, the impact of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and the economic crisis in Europe. (Japan Times)
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