Chapter I General Provisions
第一章 総則
第一条（目的）
The purpose of this Act is to promote the employment security and general welfare of elderly persons and others while contributing to the development of the economy and society, by taking comprehensive measures that are designed to facilitate the secure employment of elderly persons, such as raising the mandatory retirement age and introducing a system of continuous employment, to facilitate the re-employment of elderly persons and others and to secure employment opportunities for persons who have mandatorily retired and other elderly retirees.
第二条（定義）
The term "elderly persons" as used in this Act means those whose ages are at or above the age specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
この法律において「高年齢者」とは、厚生労働省令で定める年齢以上の者をいう。
The term "elderly persons and others" as used in this Act means elderly persons and the following persons who do not fall into the category of elderly persons:
この法律において「高年齢者等」とは、高年齢者及び次に掲げる者で高年齢者に該当しないものをいう。
middle-aged and elderly persons (referring to those whose ages are at or above the age specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; the same applies in the following paragraph) who seek employment (excluding those listed in the following item);
middle-aged and elderly unemployed persons and others (unemployed persons whose ages are within the age range specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and other unemployed persons specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as those for whom finding employment is particularly difficult; the same applies in Chapter III, Section 3).
中高年齢失業者等（厚生労働省令で定める範囲の年齢の失業者その他就職が特に困難な厚生労働省令で定める失業者をいう。第三章第三節において同じ。）
The term "specified area" as used in this Act means an area designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare as an area where it is extremely difficult for unemployed persons who are middle-aged and elderly to find employment.
この法律において「特定地域」とは、中高年齢者である失業者が就職することが著しく困難である地域として厚生労働大臣が指定する地域をいう。
第三条（基本的理念）
Consideration must be given to ensure that elderly persons and others have opportunities for employment and other various work opportunities in accordance with their wishes and abilities throughout their entire working lives while enriching their working lives.
高年齢者等は、その職業生活の全期間を通じて、その意欲及び能力に応じ、雇用の機会その他の多様な就業の機会が確保され、職業生活の充実が図られるように配慮されるものとする。
On their own initiative, workers are to prepare a plan for working as elderly persons in order to enrich their working lives in this period, and are to strive to develop and improve their abilities while maintaining and promoting their health, based on the plan.
労働者は、高齢期における職業生活の充実のため、自ら進んで、高齢期における職業生活の設計を行い、その設計に基づき、その能力の開発及び向上並びにその健康の保持及び増進に努めるものとする。
Article 4Employer's Responsibility
第四条（事業主の責務）
By creating the necessary conditions such as those for developing and improving the work abilities of elderly persons that it employs, improving working facilities and taking various other measures, and by providing support and taking other actions for the elderly persons and others that it employs in order for them to be re-employed, the employer is to strive to secure opportunities for their employment in accordance with their wishes and abilities.
The employer is to strive to provide the necessary support for workers employed by the employer to prepare work plans for working as elderly persons in order to enable the workers to enrich their working lives by assisting them in their work as elderly persons in accordance with their wishes and abilities.
事業主は、その雇用する労働者が高齢期においてその意欲及び能力に応じて就業することにより職業生活の充実を図ることができるようにするため、その高齢期における職業生活の設計について必要な援助を行うよう努めるものとする。
While giving due consideration to the voluntary efforts of employers, workers, and other related persons, the national government and local governments are to provide the employers, workers, and other related persons with the necessary support, etc. in accordance with their circumstances, and are to strive to comprehensively and effectively promote measures necessary to secure work opportunities and other various employment opportunities, etc. for elderly persons and others in accordance with elderly persons' wishes and abilities, by implementing measures such as improving systems for employment placements and vocational training that are necessary to facilitate the re-employment of elderly persons and others.
国及び地方公共団体は、事業主、労働者その他の関係者の自主的な努力を尊重しつつその実情に応じてこれらの者に対し必要な援助等を行うとともに、高年齢者等の再就職の促進のために必要な職業紹介、職業訓練等の体制の整備を行う等、高年齢者等の意欲及び能力に応じた雇用の機会その他の多様な就業の機会の確保等を図るために必要な施策を総合的かつ効果的に推進するように努めるものとする。
The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare is to formulate a policy that forms the basis for the measures for the stabilization of employment of elderly persons and others. (hereinafter referred to as the "Basic Policy for Measures for Employment Security for Elderly Persons and Others").
厚生労働大臣は、高年齢者等の職業の安定に関する施策の基本となるべき方針（以下「高年齢者等職業安定対策基本方針」という。）を策定するものとする。
The particulars to be specified in the Basic Policy for Measures for Employment for Elderly Persons and Others are as follows:
高年齢者等職業安定対策基本方針に定める事項は、次のとおりとする。
particulars concerning the trends in the employment of elderly persons and others;
高年齢者等の就業の動向に関する事項
particulars concerning the goal of increasing job opportunities for elderly persons;
高年齢者の就業の機会の増大の目標に関する事項
particulars that should be regarded as the necessary guidelines for the appropriate and effective implementation of the measures that the employer in Article 4, paragraph (1) should take in order to develop and enhance the abilities of workers, to improve work facilities, improve other various conditions, and to support re-employment, as well as the measures that the employer in paragraph (2) of the same Article should take in order to support the preparation of plans to work as elderly persons;
particulars that should serve as the basis for the measures to be taken to facilitate smooth implementation of the measures for securing employment for elderly persons and others (referring to the measures for securing employment for elderly persons prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) and the measures for securing job opportunities for elderly persons prescribed in Article 10-2, paragraph (4); the same applies in Article 11)
particulars that should serve as the basic policy underlying the measures to facilitate the re-employment of elderly persons and others;
高年齢者等の再就職の促進のため講じようとする施策の基本となるべき事項
in addition to the particulars listed in the preceding items, any other particulars that should serve as the basic policy underlying the measures to be taken to achieve the employment security of elderly persons and others.
Prior to the formulation of the Basic Policy for Measures for Employment Security for Elderly Persons and Others, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare must consult with the heads of the relevant administrative organs and listen to the opinions of the Labour Policy Council.
厚生労働大臣は、高年齢者等職業安定対策基本方針を定めるに当たつては、あらかじめ、関係行政機関の長と協議するとともに、労働政策審議会の意見を聴かなければならない。
After having formulated the Basic Policy for Measures for Employment Security for Elderly Persons and Others, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare must publicly announce its outline without delay.
厚生労働大臣は、高年齢者等職業安定対策基本方針を定めたときは、遅滞なく、その概要を公表しなければならない。
The provisions of the two preceding paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to amendments of the Basic Policy for Measures for Employment Security for Elderly Persons and Others.
前二項の規定は、高年齢者等職業安定対策基本方針の変更について準用する。
Article 7Exclusion from Application
第七条（適用除外）
This Act does not apply to mariners provided for in Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Mariners' Employment Security Act (Act No. 130 of 1948).
この法律は、船員職業安定法（昭和二十三年法律第百三十号）第六条第一項に規定する船員については、適用しない。
The provisions of the preceding Article, the following Chapter, Chapter III, Section 2, and Articles 49 and 52 do not apply to national government employees and local government employees.