Tag - us-spending

 
 

US SPENDING

EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2015
Negative savings rates loom
The first-ever annual drop in Japan's household savings rate into negative territory might have been the result of people's rush to buy goods before the consumption tax hike last April. Yet, the long-term downtrend in the savings rate is forecast to continue.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 19, 2015
December consumer confidence up for first time in five months
Consumer confidence improved for the first time in five months in December, the government said on Monday, suggesting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to postpone the second stage of the consumption tax hike has eased fears about Japan's economic outlook.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 15, 2015
House votes to undo Obama immigration moves in spending bill
House Republicans voted to try to block President Barack Obama from easing the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, including those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 13, 2015
Tax hike may have lowered private spending by ¥1 trillion
Last April's consumption tax hike is estimated to have pushed down private spending by nearly ¥1 trillion for the six months through September, the Cabinet Office said in an annual economic report released Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 20, 2014
A better way to spend yen on schools
Japan's Finance Ministry wants to increase the number of students in each class to save ¥8.6 billion in personnel costs. This will result in 3,325 schools being shuttered and up to 4,000 teachers cashiered. A good idea perhaps, but why not prioritize spending on students who need the most attention?
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 18, 2014
Next year's budget expected to hit record ¥98 trillion
The general account budget for fiscal 2015 is likely to reach a record high of about ¥98 trillion, exceeding the ¥95.9 trillion initial budget for this year, Finance Ministry sources said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 2, 2014
Japan's recession may be shallower than first thought
The third-quarter contraction that tipped Japan into recession may not be as sharp as first thought, with economists revising gross domestic product forecasts as the Lower House election campaign started Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 1, 2014
Capital spending climbed 5.5% in second quarter
Capital spending by Japanese companies rose in the July-September quarter, logging six straight periods of growth and signaling that the April 1 consumption tax hike had little impact on their eagerness to invest, the government said Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 27, 2014
U.S. consumer, business spending data point to slowing growth
U.S. consumer spending rose modestly in October and a key measure of business spending plans on equipment fell for a second straight month, suggesting some slowing in the pace of economic growth.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 10, 2014
Core machinery orders up 3.5% in July but recovery pace slows
Core private-sector machinery orders in July rose 3.5 percent from the previous month to ¥771.7 billion after seasonal adjustment, led by a one-off increase in big orders from the chemical industry, the government said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2014
China's PLA is getting more bang for the buck
The U.S. on paper may outspend all its rivals to ensure 'military dominance,' but China and Russia, for example, get more bang for the buck with lower salaries and fewer benefits for their soldiers and, in many cases, would pay much less to transport military personnel and equipment to a conflict zone.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2014
'Abenomics' at risk as firms put brakes on spending, hoard their cash
Japanese companies from NTT Docomo Inc. to Honda Motor Co. are putting the brakes on spending as they pile up cash, showing the challenge Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's new Cabinet faces in reviving the economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 27, 2014
Salarymen get a bit more to spend
Japanese wives are raising their husbands' allowances, but only enough to offset the April 1 tax hike as wages continue to languish.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2014
Capital spending logs 7.4% first-quarter jump
Capital spending jumped 7.4 percent in the January-March quarter compared with a year ago to log the sharpest rise in nearly two years, as Japan Inc. beefed up investment ahead of the first consumption tax hike in 17 years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 10, 2014
Machinery orders at a 'standstill'
Core private-sector machinery orders shrank a seasonally adjusted 8.8 percent month-on-month in February, the government said Thursday, adding that the yardstick for capital spending had come to "a standstill."
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2014
Tax hike alone won't cure fiscal ills
The consumption tax hike alone won't resolve the nation's fiscal and social security woes. It needs to be matched by efforts to rein in government spending.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2014
Shoppers start coping with higher sales tax
Tuesday's hike of the consumption tax to 8 percent saw mixed reactions in Tokyo and Osaka. While consumers in both cities seemed resigned to the increase, there was concern about the additional transportation and food costs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2014
Hidden tax hike surprises await unwary consumers
Tuesday's consumption tax hike will in principle affect all domestic purchases of goods or services, but there are still gray areas where consumers may get surprised by unexpected levies, government officials warn.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2014
Spending logs surprise fall as price pressures rise
Consumers unexpectedly reduce spending two months before the nation's first sales tax hike since 1997 — potential sign that emerging inflationary pressures are undermining purchasing power.
EDITORIALS
Mar 25, 2014
'Abenomics' after the tax hike
Uncertainties are deepening with regard to the course of Japan's economy after the three-percentage-point sales tax hike takes effect in April. Meanwhile, 'Abenomics' appears to be losing steam.

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