Kishida says gov't will do 'everything possible' to boost household income

His regime has wasted over 2 years

"everything possible"?

everything are too late. 

daily life, health, future or even the lives have been victimized by incompetent government.

kurisupisu- excellent post

@tora

For most foreigners in the teaching game there is sure not to be a ‘boost in wages’

Apart from a more detailed look at Japan, anyone teaching in Japan after several years is wasting their time.

It is a thankless task that holds limited scope for

advancement.

Wages are failing year by year whilst prices in Japan to live are not.

There is also the unpalatable exchange rate and high cost of living that awaits those repatriating.

As other posters have commented; Japan is great to visit but not to live and work.

“Well then, they can start by slashing income and sales tax by half.”

Agreed, Aly.

That would solve a lot of ills. One of which being that the reduced income from taxes would mean the civil service would need to be pruned - not a bad thing there. Get rid of do-less staff. No bonuses, no "travel allowances," etc. It would also mean that people would be able to keep more of the money they make and have more money to spend, start families, etc., and that would boost the economy.

Achieving sustainable wage growth and stable inflation is a focus of this year's spring wage talks between employers and workers

This sentence is pure Kishida/LDP propaganda. Why would employers and workers want inflation? Everybody is supposed to work harder and more efficiently so that wages can grow, and then inflation takes the value of that growth away (and then some, as we're seeing)? That's the LDP and BOJ exploiting the serfs. Which has presumably been their goal all along. The people see right through it.

Well then, they can start by slashing income and sales tax by half.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday his government would do "everything possible" to achieve real income growth to put a decisive end to deflation.

But he doesn't know what to do or he won't propose anything that would annoy vested interests and business owners who give the LDP money.

However, small firms, which employ seven out of 10 workers, lag their larger peers in offering generous wage hikes.

Of course they do. A lot of them are barely scraping by due to a lack of consumer demand or unable to stay in business without loans, subsidies and pork barrel contracts.

Looks like a few people didn’t get the “blue suit” memo.

Raise the minimum wage. That's within the realm of "everything possible" and it will directly boost household income for millions of people.

Companies(like Gaba) are not renewing contracts for those who refuse. Essentially firing them.

Just how low can they put they wages before they attract no workers at all? This is especially true since the yen is low as well now. There is no incentive for ANY gaijin to come to Japan to do the English gig anymore. The truth is the English teaching gig in Japan is long gone and probably never coming back. Upskill and get another job in a new field while you still can bro.

Kishida says gov't will do 'everything possible' to boost household income

The reality of it all is "IF"Kishida boost household income it would not make a difference, yes people will see more take home earnings but when they go out and about doing the same things that they do in their daily life they will also see that the cost of goods and services will also go up. What that means is yes your earnings go up but so does your expenditures. These large corporations and small business will make adjustment to insure they don't take a loss. It will all look good on paper but the results will be the same.

Best joke of 2024!

Why doesn't the government officially raise the retirement age to 65

Isn't that policy by employers, who fire everyone at age 60 and rehire them for a fraction of their salary? So why don't they employers raise their retirement age to 65. They're the ones crying about a "labor shortage," after all.

Kishida says gov't will do 'everything possible' to boost household income

EXCEPT:

cut law maker's salaries and their unnecessary per diems.

raise minimum wage to a DECENT level

Just a nasty race to the bottom right now for freelancers and independent contractors in this country as companies (like Gaba where I have worked for 16 years) are putting pressure on instructors to take a pay cut by becoming Qualified Invoice Issuers(to shift tax burden onto them) although the law states that there is no need to do so for contractors earning less than 10m a year.

Companies(like Gaba) are not renewing contracts for those who refuse. Essentially firing them.

Unfortunately the Japan “Fair” Trade Commission seems to think it’s a grey area(feature not a bug) and the companies are not technically breaking the law, stating it’s ok as long as the company is not changing conditions mid-contract - irregardless of how long you’ve been working for the company. A very unjust and unfair state of affairs

Who can take him serious after the unification church scandal?

"While he did not announce any new policies, Kishida stressed the need to regain public trust in politics amid a funding scandal that has sent support for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to its lowest in more than a decade."

Well, we all know that expressing the need and/or desire for something to occur while you do nothing about it at all will of course result in it happening. In fact, I just expressed the need for food to enter my stomach, and even though I am not going to get up off my but and make something, I'm quite sure my expressing the need will simply make it happen.

There's no point just boosting income when everything else also rises at the same time. It's just a race, it will not solve any problems in society, competition! work harder! longer! study harder! longer! more anxiety for the average persons.

The official retirement age is 60/ however, most have to continue to work until 65 and if they want to stay on their companies they can. Here is the kicker, these same companies for the same jobs for those before the retirement age of 60 have their salaries immediately reduced and not by a small sum from my understanding. Why doesn't the government officially raise the retirement age to 65, and so, companies are mandated to continue to pay peoples' proper salaries this is a shocking idea, isn't it?

I first moved to Japan in 2001. I recall every prime minister since then, of which there have been many, making the same promise but it has only gotten worse and worse over the following two decades. The middle class of Japan has all but disappeared. It is heading back to the way it was 200 years ago with the ruling class and the peasants. I packed up my kit and got out of there a few years ago. Japan is a great place to visit but it’s getting impossible to live there.

I am pretty sure he already said he would do his utmost to do this multiple times, before.

are we already before elections?

just abolish vat for food and basic needs-this will help a lot.

even small but REAL step will help to all.

Nothing is also possible ... therefore they will do nothing.

Kishida says gov't will do 'everything possible' to boost household income

Notice he didn't say whose household... think he means members of parliament. He promises his colleagues he will help find a different slush fund to boost their income.

Of course "they" won't. Kishida doesn't decide on your wage. Your employer does. Unhappy? Complain about your employer, not the prime minister.

He certainly does decide on what you get. And he does that by setting the minimum wage which was set on 1st April 2023 at 961 yen per hour. If he set it to 1500 yen per hour with a goal of increasing it to 2500 yen by 2025... then most people would actually see a wage increase.

Kishida is either extremely confused about the role of government or he is blatantly willfully lying.

Actually, it could be a mix of the two.

How could Kishida raise wages?

He doesn’t produce anything, employ anyone, have a company, have a sales target, give training etc

Kishida is employed by the Japanese state-like Abe before him, Kishida hasn’t a clue or maybe he does but won’t ever admit it!

Governments take from the blood, sweat and toil of the population, they produce absolutely nothing.

Japan has the second highest rate of income tax in the world at 55.95%.

A lot of taking is going on.

Its fairly obvious what is necessary but Kishida will never voice it-feckless and devious but not stupid.

Everything possible, eh?

Well start by getting rid of consumption tax. When there was no consumption tax, Japan was booming. And while you're at it, knock a bit off the income tax too, so that people can actually get to keep some of their hard earned money.

So what is "everything possible" exactly? Does that mean you will raise minimum wage if need be?

Indeed and tax down. 厚生年金保険 subsidised. Can't wait.

Kishida San's Racehorse but too bad Japan's Donkey!

So what is "everything possible" exactly? Does that mean you will raise minimum wage if need be?

"..do everything possible" does not go in line with the culture here of conservatism, consensus and risk apetite.

More like "do as little as possible"

It's up to the private sector, not the government, to deliver better wages. Corporates have been earning the highest profits in their history and now have record-high internal cash piles. If they refuse to deliver substantially higher real wages in spring, then they must be punished. Taxation, debilitating labor strikes, you name it.

We must secure market confidence in Japan's fiscal sustainability by tackling fiscal reform... 

No you don't. The Tokyo market is already the world's best performer this year. "Confidence" is set at 11. If further spending improves the economy and generates demand-led inflation, then keep it up. "Fiscal reform"?! Seriously, dude, you want to start backtracking now?!

They will never raise wages in any meaningful way,,,

Of course "they" won't. Kishida doesn't decide on your wage. Your employer does. Unhappy? Complain about your employer, not the prime minister.

Good Job LDP. Japan is the strongest country.

How many years have we been hearing that.

It's such crap

Solution is not that hard to find, just 3 words :

Increase minimal wages*.

(* And not just by 10 yens).

Can't wait!!!!

So work for free and repeal sales taxes and for that matter all taxes. That is everything possible.

Kishida says gov't will do 'everything possible' to boost household income

The LDP will do nothing of the sort.

They could have tied decades of lavish corporate welfare subsidies to wage increases.

They could have linked payroll protection to COVID stimulus packages instead of allowing companies to let go of employees while receiving subsidies.

They could have linked the loose monetary QE policies to bottom up stimulus instead of funneling it to banks and benefiting the rentier class.

Or just cut all the deadwood LDP salaries and Olympic, Expo, construction boondoggles and send a rebate to the taxpayers.

You see, there has been a lot possible, that Kishida and the LDP are not willing to do.

I guess that means they are going to raise taxes soon.

Last year, Japan's blue chip firms offered a 3.6% wage hike, the highest in three decades, and economists now expect 2024 wage hikes could beat that at nearly 3.9%, reflecting a labour crunch and corporate cash pile of 343 trillion yen.

However, small firms, which employ seven out of 10 workers, lag their larger peers in offering generous wage hikes.

So the Kishida government failed most people last year. Why should we expect anything different this year?

Mission Impossible for Govt. Can only happen if private sector productivity and global competitiveness massively improves = no more Galapagos Biz Culture.

Believe it when I see it!