‘Relative poverty’

The economy has not been faring much better. While the official unemployment rate is about 3%, at least half a million Japanese have lost their jobs in the past six months. One in six are considered to be in “relative poverty”, with incomes less than half the national median.

About 40% of workers are employed in lowerwage, nonregular jobs, especially in the service industries, and have been the most vulnerable in the pandemicrelated recession. Women, in particular, have been hit hard.

While the economy showed signs of growth in the last six months, it is expected to slow down again in the first quarter of 2021 before stabilising.