Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announces special measures for the Employment Adjustment Subsidy (雇用調整助成金) following the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake — 4 relaxations for establishments nationwide plus 2 additional ones within Kumamoto Prefecture
Source material is a Japanese government announcement (in Japanese); this page is a summary.
Special measures under the Employment Adjustment Subsidy (雇用調整助成金) are being implemented for employers scaling back business activity for economic reasons arising from the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake. The announcement states that suspension or reduction of business activity caused by damage to facilities or equipment is ordinarily not eligible for the subsidy, but that even where the damage was caused directly by the earthquake, the case is treated as eligible if there is an economic reason such as arranging repair contractors. Establishments nationwide receive 4 relaxations, including a shortened confirmation period for the production indicator, and establishments within Kumamoto Prefecture receive 2 additional items: abolition of the overtime offset and abolition of the rule reducing the subsidy rate according to training. What is covered is leave and similar measures that began between July 28, 2026 and January 27, 2027.
Key facts
| Establishments covered | Establishments scaling back business activity for economic reasons arising from the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake. Ordinarily, suspension or reduction of business activity caused by damage to facilities or equipment is not eligible for the subsidy, but even where facilities or equipment were directly damaged by the earthquake, the case is treated as eligible if there is an economic reason (for example, arranging repair contractors or procuring repair parts taking time because of the effects of the disaster) |
|---|---|
| Nationwide special measure ① Production indicator | The confirmation period is shortened from 3 months to 1 month. Ordinarily, an establishment must meet the requirement that the monthly average of a production indicator such as sales volume or sales revenue over the most recent 3 months has fallen by 10% or more against the same period of the previous year, but this comparison period is set at the most recent 1 month so that the special measures can be applied quickly |
| Nationwide special measure ② Employment volume requirement | An establishment remains eligible for the subsidy even if its employment volume over the most recent 3 months has increased against the previous year. Ordinarily, an establishment is not eligible if the average over the most recent 3 months of the combined number of workers it employs and dispatched workers it accepts has increased by more than 5% and by 6 or more persons against the same period of the previous year (for small and medium-sized employers, by more than 10% and by 4 or more persons), but that requirement is abolished |
| Nationwide special measure ③ Establishment less than 1 year old | Ordinarily, an employer whose establishment has been covered by employment insurance for less than 1 year is not eligible, but employers whose establishment was less than 1 year old as of July 28, 2026 are also treated as eligible. In that case, the production indicator under ① is compared with the figure for any 1 month before the date the earthquake occurred (limited to a month after the establishment came under employment insurance coverage and while it was employing workers) |
| Nationwide special measure ④ Plan notification | Ordinarily, a plan notification must be submitted in advance when carrying out leave or similar measures eligible for the subsidy, but submission after the fact is also permitted |
| Additional special measures within Kumamoto Prefecture | ① Abolition of the overtime offset rule — ordinarily, where an employer has workers perform work outside prescribed hours while also placing them on leave, the hours of such work outside prescribed hours are deducted from the total number of days of leave eligible for payment, but this treatment is abolished. ② Abolition of the rule reducing the subsidy rate according to the state of training implementation — ordinarily, for the period on and after the day on which the number of payment days passes 30 days, the subsidy rate is reduced if the training implementation rate is below 10%, but this treatment is abolished |
| Period covered by the special measures | Leave and similar measures that began between the date the disaster occurred (July 28, 2026) and January 27, 2027 |
| Procedural stage | The announcement states that the measures went through deliberation and a report by the Employment Security Subcommittee of the Labour Policy Council and that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare will promptly promulgate and bring into force the relevant ministerial ordinance. This announcement appears in the ministry's press release list for August 2026 as an item posted on August 20, 2026, and the reference leaflet is marked as updated on August 25, 2026. The date of promulgation of the ministerial ordinance is not stated in this announcement |
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The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that it will implement special measures under the Employment Adjustment Subsidy (雇用調整助成金) for employers who, for economic reasons arising from the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake, cannot avoid scaling back business activity and must adjust employment. This announcement appears in the ministry's press release list for August 2026 as an item posted on August 20, 2026. The announcement states that the special measures went through deliberation by the Employment Security Subcommittee of the Labour Policy Council, which issued its report the same day, and that the ministry will promptly promulgate and bring into force the relevant ministerial ordinance. Ordinarily, suspension or reduction of business activity caused by damage to facilities or equipment is not eligible for the subsidy, but even where facilities or equipment were directly damaged by the earthquake, the case is treated as eligible if there is an economic reason (for example, arranging repair contractors or procuring repair parts taking time because of the effects of the disaster). The special measures consist of 4 items applying to establishments nationwide and 2 items applying additionally to establishments located within Kumamoto Prefecture. What they cover is leave and similar measures that began between July 28, 2026, the date the disaster occurred, and January 27, 2027. The subsidy rate and the level of payment are not stated in this announcement.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
Summaries reflect national-level programs. Municipal (city/ward/town) programs may differ — confirm with the official desk before applying.
FAQ
Can establishments outside Kumamoto Prefecture use these special measures?
The announcement covers establishments scaling back business activity for economic reasons arising from the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake, and states that within that scope 4 special measures are implemented for establishments nationwide (shortening the confirmation period for the production indicator, abolishing the requirement on increases in employment volume, extending coverage to employers whose establishment is less than 1 year old, and allowing plan notifications to be submitted after the fact). Each item is described as relaxing or abolishing, for these special measures only, the ordinary requirements (a fall of 10% or more in the monthly average of the production indicator over the most recent 3 months against the same period of the previous year; ineligibility where employment volume has increased by more than 5% and by 6 or more persons against the same period of the previous year, or, for small and medium-sized employers, by more than 10% and by 4 or more persons; ineligibility of employers whose establishment is less than 1 year old; and the need for a prior plan notification). The 2 items abolishing the overtime offset rule and abolishing the rule reducing the subsidy rate according to the state of training implementation are items implemented additionally for establishments located within Kumamoto Prefecture.
Is a closure caused by earthquake damage to a building or equipment also covered?
The announcement states that suspension or reduction of business activity caused by damage to facilities or equipment is ordinarily not eligible for the subsidy, while also stating that even where facilities or equipment were directly damaged by the earthquake, the case is treated as eligible if there is an economic reason. The examples given of economic reasons include the arrangement of repair contractors and the procurement of repair parts taking time because of the effects of the disaster.
What is the subsidy rate, or how much can be received?
This announcement does not state the subsidy rate or the level of payment. It states that a leaflet (令和８年熊本地震の災害に伴う雇用調整助成金の特例措置を実施します) is attached as reference material.