Richard Katz
Real Wages in May Down 0.1%
written by Richard Katz on June 30, 2015
Real wages in May were down yet again, this time by a mere 0.1%. That is the same as in April.
His Own Worst Enemy
written by Richard Katz on July 02, 2015
July 2015 issue of the Oriental Economist includes reports of His Own Worst Enemy, No “Bon Bons” for Diet, Fight over TPA in the US, Japan-Korea Thaw, Economy Watch, Japan’s Hidden Champions.
TOE Alert: Abe to Get Security Bills through Despite Public Uproar
written by Richard Katz on July 09, 2015
Richard explains why Abe's power within LDP will remain strong despite his recent disapproval rating has increased.
Japan's Nominal Wages up Almost 1% in April
written by Richard Katz on June 04, 2015
While April may have been cruel to Japan in many regards (see Alert of May 29), it was very kind on wage front. Nominal wages per worker were up 0.9% from last April—three times as much as the consensus forecast.
TPP waiting on US Congress
written by Richard Katz on June 04, 2015
June issue of the The Oriental Economist. Topics include the possible conclusion to the TPP pact, the debate on the national security bill and the myth of the 5 million lost jobs.
TOE Alert: Senate Reaches Deal on TPA vote; Question is When
written by Richard Katz on May 13, 2015
Senate Republicans and Democrats reached a deal this afternoon to get a vote to begin debate on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), following yesterday’s failure.
TPA Vote Today was Part of the Negotiations
written by Richard Katz on May 12, 2015
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) has been delayed by today’s vote in the Senate against immediate opening of floor debate, but it definitely does not mean that TPA is dead. Rather, the vote is part of the negotiations between the Democrats and Republicans on how many other matters will be bundled together with TPA.
Who Wins, Who Loses?
written by Richard Katz on May 08, 2015
In this report Richard analyzes who has gained and who has lost because of the yen’s big depreciation.
TOE Alert: The Cost of the Weak Yen: 5% of Gross Domestic Income
written by Richard Katz on May 05, 2015
The 30% depreciation of the yen could be lowering Japan’s standard of living by as much as 4-5%, according to the GDP figures,
Can Cheap Yen Drive GDP Growth, Part 2?
written by Richard Katz on May 03, 2015
In this report Richard analyzes why the yen’s weakness might not trigger a surge in the trade surplus that drives GDP growth as in the mid-2000s.
