By using both macro- and micro-level data, this paper investigates how wages and prices evolved during Japan's lost two decades. We find that downward nominal wage rigidity was present in Japan until the late 1990s, but disappeared after 1998 as annual wages became downwardly flexible. Moreover, nominal wage flexibility may have contributed to Japan's relatively low unemployment rates. Although macro-level movements in nominal wages and prices seemed to be synchronized, such synchronicity is not observed at the industry level. Therefore, wage deflation does not seem to be a primary factor of Japan's prolonged deflation."> By using both macro- and micro-level data, this paper investigates how wages and prices evolved during Japan's lost two decades. We find that downward nominal wage rigidity was present in Japan until the late 1990s, but disappeared after 1998 as annual wages became downwardly flexible. Moreover, nominal wage flexibility may have contributed to Japan's relatively low unemployment rates. Although macro-level movements in nominal wages and prices seemed to be synchronized, such synchronicity is not observed at the industry level. Therefore, wage deflation does not seem to be a primary factor of Japan's prolonged deflation."> By using both macro- and micro-level data, this paper investigates how wages and prices evolved during Japan's lost two decades. We find that downward nominal wage rigidity was">
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Is Downward Wage Flexibility the Primary Factor of Japan's Prolonged Deflation?

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  • Sachiko Kuroda
  • Isamu Yamamoto
Abstract
type="main"> By using both macro- and micro-level data, this paper investigates how wages and prices evolved during Japan's lost two decades. We find that downward nominal wage rigidity was present in Japan until the late 1990s, but disappeared after 1998 as annual wages became downwardly flexible. Moreover, nominal wage flexibility may have contributed to Japan's relatively low unemployment rates. Although macro-level movements in nominal wages and prices seemed to be synchronized, such synchronicity is not observed at the industry level. Therefore, wage deflation does not seem to be a primary factor of Japan's prolonged deflation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sachiko Kuroda & Isamu Yamamoto, 2014. "Is Downward Wage Flexibility the Primary Factor of Japan's Prolonged Deflation?," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 143-158, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiapr:v:9:y:2014:i:1:p:143-158
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    Cited by:

    1. Etsuro Shioji, 2014. "A Pass-Through Revival," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 120-138, January.
    2. Kenji Nishizaki & Toshitaka Sekine & Yoichi Ueno, 2014. "Chronic Deflation in Japan," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 20-39, January.
    3. Yokoyama, Izumi & Kodama, Naomi & Higuchi, Yoshio, 2019. "Inequality through wage response to the business cycle–Evidence from the FFL decomposition method," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 87-98.
    4. Takatoshi Ito & Kazumasa Iwata & Colin McKenzie & Shujiro Urata & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2014. "Japan's Persistent Deflation and Monetary Policy: Editors' Overview," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 1-19, January.
    5. J. Boeckx & P. Butzen & N. Cordemans & S. Ide, 2015. "Deflation in Japan, Abenomics and lessons for the euro area," Economic Review, National Bank of Belgium, issue i, pages 100-124, June.
    6. Kodama, Naomi & Inui, Tomohiko & Kwon, Hyeogug, 2014. "A Decomposition of the Decline in Japanese Nominal Wages in the 1990s and 2000s," CIS Discussion paper series 631, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    7. Yoichi Ueno, 2024. "Linkage between Wage and Price Inflation in Japan," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 24-E-7, Bank of Japan.
    8. Kenn Ariga, 2014. "Comments on “Is Downward Wage Flexibility the Primary Factor of Japan's Prolonged Deflation?”," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 159-160, January.
    9. Shigenori Shiratsuka, 2018. "Central Banking in a Changing World Summary of the 2018 BOJ-IMES Conference Organized by the Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies of the Bank of Japan," IMES Discussion Paper Series 18-E-11, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    10. Ryo Kambayashi, 2014. "Comment on “Is Downward Wage Flexibility the Primary Factor of Japan's Prolonged Deflation?”," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 161-162, January.

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