Giovanni Ganelli is a Senior Economist in the IMF’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP). He previously worked in the Fiscal Affairs, European, and Institute for Capacity Development departments of the IMF. During his career he participated in IMF missions in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and he is currently a member of the IMF team which carries out the annual Article IV Consultation with Japan.
Japan’s minimum wage is 798 JPY ($6.52) per hour, lower than many other advanced countries, including the United States, and among the lowest relative to the average wage (see chart). For...
Everybody agrees: wages need to grow if Japan is to make a definite escape from deflation. Full- time wages have increased by a mere 0.3 percent since 1995! For example, despite its recor...
