Japan Wages:

 https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210507/p2g/00m/0bu/070000c  

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nominal monthly wages in Japan in March rose 0.2 percent from a year earlier for the first increase in 13 months, reflecting a decline in the number of part-timers amid the coronavirus pandemic, the government said Friday.

Average total cash earnings per worker, including base and overtime pay, stood at 282,164 yen ($2,600) on a nominal basis in the reporting month, according to preliminary data from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

Ideas:

Unfortunately, as an economy is very complex,  the idea of every worker in the economy being full time is not possible.

As there are many companies and jobs within companies that are part time and don't need to be full time.

But the problem is many part time and temporary jobs don't meet the needs of workers, whether single workers or members of families, such as the wife in family that needs both the husband and wife to work to meet their needs and even stay above water.

Japan, like many advanced countries now has a imbalance between the top wage earners and the lower wage earners.

Many years ago, Japan was one of the countries without a lot of income inequality. 

But ever since the 90's situation and even more since the 2008 global financial crisis income in equality has grown to now its a noticeable problem.

Article: 

The average monthly wages for full-time workers fell 0.3 percent to 365,804 yen and those of part-time workers dropped 0.8 percent to 96,350 yen, the data showed.

As many employers laid off part-timers or remained reluctant to hire new staff amid deteriorating business conditions, the proportion of part-timer workers to total laborers continues to decrease, hitting 31.02 percent in March, down 0.59 point from the previous year, according to the ministry.

"As the ratio of regular workers increased, overall wages were lifted," a ministry official said.

Ideas:

Unfortunately its been the temporary workers and the part time workers who have suffered the most during the pandemic.

And of course many regular businesses have suffered too.

But most part time or temporary jobs are filled either by women, such as housewives and or students who need to work.

As such, this also has affected consumer spending in the Japanese economy, as this group now has less disposable income to use in the economy.

So again it has a multiplier affect. As the part time and temporary workers lose there jobs, they have less income to use in the economy, which means those businesses they might have frequented now have less sales and it just keeps multiplying throughout the economy.

Article:

Average overtime pay has continued to decline due to the pandemic, with the March figure dropping 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 18,113 yen, amid the country's virus-induced second state of emergency, which was in place in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures through March 21.

By sector, overtime pay in hotel and restaurant industries plunged 31.8 percent from the previous year, while that in services related to people's daily lives such as hair salons as well as entertainment businesses tumbled 28.2 percent, the data showed.

On a real, or inflation-adjusted, basis, monthly wages rose 0.5 percent, up for the second consecutive month.

Ideas:

And yes many types of businesses are affected by the decrease in jobs, the decrease in overtime etc.

So goes, as people/consumers lose income and jobs they are not going to spend as usual, which of course affects the many businesses they might have frequented.

So the idea that one person loses his/her job or has a decrease in wages, and has no affect on the economy is not reality. 

Multiply that into thousands and ten of thousands and all of those businesses that they might have frequented now have less sales. 

And not that they have less sales maybe the workers of those companies will lose their jobs or lose overtime, or even have their salaries reduced.

And then add in the suppliers of those business and now the businesses that are losing customers and sales, now need less supplies from their suppliers and the multiplier affect continues on throughout an economy.

Have a nice day and be safe!