...Executive Summary Europe: The aging trend in Europe is in most place they are growing older. According to the European Commission (2012) “while the population of Europe will be slightly higher in 2060 (517 million, up from 502 million in 2010), the population will be much older. While longer lives are indeed a great achievement the aging of the population also poses significant challenges for the economies”. The share of those aged 15-64 is projected to decline from 67% to 56% while those aged 65 and over is projected to rise from 17% to 30%. This will cause Europe to go from have four people of working age to each aged over 65 to a mere two people of working age (European Commission, 2012). ● “The total number of workers is projected to decline by 15.7 million over the forecast horizon to 195.6 million in 2060. ● The decline in the workforce will act as a drag on growth and per capita income, with a consequent trend decline in potential growth. The latter is estimated to converge to below 1,5% in real terms in the long-term in the EU. Moreover, the demographic changes are expected to have substantial consequences on public finances in the EU. ● On the basis of current policies, age-related public expenditures (pensions, health-care and long-term care) are projected to increase by 4.1 percentage points to around to around 29% of GDP between 2010 and 2060”. The economics of depopulation are dark. At full employment, the real GDP has a good chance of declining...
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... 2 2) Introduction – Japan’s aging population and the implications to its economy 3 3) Article summary 4 4) Fiscal and Social Implications 5 5) Japan, against uncontrollable forces 6 6) Unemployment 6 7) What policies should the government implement 7 8) Conclusion 8 9) References 9 10) Attached Article 10 & 11 2. Introduction - Japan’s aging population and the implications to its economy Japan is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, east of Asia. With neighbouring countries such as China, North and South Korea, and Russia, Japan is ranked 36th among the world in terms of population density. Japan houses up to 128 million people as of 2012 with...
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...aspects of one’s life; not the unstable aspect itself. Or, in other words, precarity is the cause, and a sense of precarity is the effect. In the years following the 3.11 triple disaster in Japan, ordinary Japanese people have experienced both precarity itself and a sense of precarity in the workforce and regarding aging and retirement. Firstly, consider the Japanese workforce and the topic of unemployment after 3.11, which cause...
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...Japan’s Shrinking Population Will Be the Downfall of Its Economy Japan’s changing values and contracting population will be the downfall of its economy. With a declining birth rate, currently at 1.3 births per woman (Bonnett,2009) and ever aging population, Japan is expected to shrink in population from its peak of 128 million people seven years ago to 87 million people by the year 2060 (Week Magazine 2014). How will Japan afford to sustain its generous social programs and bolster its fragile economy at the same time? How can Japan convince its younger generation to reverse the current trend of shunning marriage and children? The aversion of Japan’s younger generation to marriage and childbirth along with its aging population will drain its finances as it tries to sustain its economy. Japan’s population is getting smaller, and a variety of factors contribute to the shrinking population. One of the most dramatic factors is Japan’s declining fertility rate. This decline in fertility can be explained by two main factors, changing values and economics. Japanese women are joining the work force in greater numbers than ever before and in doing so have dramatically changed Japan’s demographic future. Japanese women have more options in the workforce than ever before and they are more educated than any point in Japan’s history. Thus, they are postponing or completely forgoing marriage to pursue opportunities outside the traditional Japanese home. The number of unmarried women ages...
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...Poverty and Inequality in Japan Compared to other countries, Japan was an equal community until the beginning of the 1990s. Almost every single person was feeling that they belonged to the middle class. Yet, income inequality has been increasing drastically since around 1990, as a result of rapid changes of Japanese society such as “population aging and declines of birthrate” as well as Japanese experience of the bubble economy from 1986 to 1989 (Japan’s Declining Birthrate). In addition, some might think that the most significant cause of the rising income inequality is the technological development. According to Keiko Takanami, a professor in San Diego State University, “there is a shift in demand from unskilled workers to skilled workers largely due to the technical changes and globalization.” This actually ended up with an increase of income inequality, because the wages would go up for workers who have well trained or high skills, while the wages would go down for unskilled workers. Recently, there is no doubt to say that Japan has been struggling with poverty and income inequality. This is also true for many other industrialized countries such as the U.S.A. and South Korea. Reasons why poverty was not a big social problem in Japan until the early 1990s is that the rate of poverty, majored by poverty survey of OECD, was not as high as other countries, and the rate of unemployment and income inequality were low (Poverty). In addition to this fact, even if there were a...
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...Japan should accept immigrants. The Japanese’s Population has been on an decline. With fewer Babies being born and one of the highest Longevity rates, the population is becoming overwhelmingly made up of old people. The reason why I believe the Japanese should be less restrictive towards immigration is that it would increase fertility, Bring more people to be part of the work force. First of all, immigration would solve the problem of aging society with a falling birthrate. Recently, Japanese population is declining rapidly, and the article stated that the population of Japan will be 87 million by 2060. Currently there are 120 million people. When it happens, elderly people retirement plan would not work because there simply wouldn’t be enough of a work force to support them. If immigrants came to and live in Japan, Japanese economy would be more active, and not only Japanese youth but also many immigrants would support welfare system. In other words, it would ease the tax of welfare for elderly people burden on youth for each person. Second, immigration would bring Japan inter-cultural communication. Though many goods, much money and information are crossing over the world from Japan, it is strange that immigrants are restricted. Some Japanese natives may worry about the risk of losing Japanese traditional culture. Immigrants would be bringing the best of their culture while adapting the best of Japanese culture, creating a new mix that would definitely help japan. Once...
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...Hi Darryl, Would you please review our debate statement? Opening statement: We believe that China should give up the one-child policy. The disadvantages of China’s one child policy are many. It has caused appalling human rights abuses in China, including forcible abortions and sterilizations. Since the policy went into effect, China has had a significant gender imbalance, an abnormal sex ratio. China’s rapidly aging population—combined with lower fertility rates—is expected to present significant social and economic challenges. It also brings other problems, for example, the "four-two-one" problem and unequal enforcement. Argument 0: One-child policy benefits exaggerated The government states that 400 million births were prevented by the one-child policy until 2011; this claim is disputed as official propaganda by Wang Feng, director of the Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy, and Cai Yong from the Carolina Population Center at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, who put the number of prevented births from 1979 to 2009 at around 100 or 200 million. Argument 1: Low fertility rate can’t maintain the sustainable development of society. According to the sixth census population, currently one couple only has 1.2 children on average. In cities, the number is less than 0.9. Even for people from countryside, it is 1.5. Under ideal mathematic model, the fertility rate should be 2.1. The 1.2 fertility rate means the number of population decrease 40% every generation...
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...Manager Amy Stalker (Wiley) BUS 330: Principles of Marketing Instructor Rizzo November 19, 2012 The initial marketing campaign needs to communicate very specifically with target market, which is the woman between 40 to 55 years of age. The initial campaign has to design a copy for advertisement before releasing the product in the market. Since the product is cosmetic as well as something that is going to be symbolized as improved health. But, before that Personal Selling effort to “Test Market” the commercial viability of the anti aging cream for middle aged women would be a better proposition. The company needs to differentiate the product from simply providing cosmetic value to providing nourishment to skin apart from hiding wrinkles. So, the product needs to highlight on twin benefits of providing nourishment to the skin and making the skin look and feel fresh and soft, reducing the sign of aging. Good introduction and thesis. Personal Selling is the marketing strategy, which should be launched before the full on advertisements in different media. A personal selling campaign should be carried out in the selected large cities of the UK, which can represent the other cities of the country. The purpose of Personal Selling (PS) is to assess the actual needs and requirements of the ideal target audience (Middle- aged women) and reinforce its effect further in the minds of target audience. Through PS, the company could have the first hand...
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...Points to know on East Asia Physical geography Topography – where is the Tibetan Plateau, how did it form, why is Japan mountainous and why does it have numerous earthquakes and volcanoes? Tibetan plateau in western china, highest in the world, created by collision of Indian and Asian tectonic plates. Collision of Eurasian plate and pacific plate, and Philippine plate collide between oceanic and continental plate. On the leading edge of the Eurasian plate Climate – what kind of climate characterizes this region, which ends of China are drier/wetter, warmer/colder? Temperate country like the US. Much wetter on the east, western like deserts. Colder in the north, hotter in the south. South more rain(subtropical) Forests – how much of this region has been deforested and why is this the case, where are the remaining forests? Eastern China deforested for farming. Remaining forests- Scattered all over Deserts – where are China’s deserts located and why are they there? Dryer desserts in the west, mostly grasslands. Taklamakan desert. Gobi desert Rivers – what are China’s two main rivers, what have they been used for in the past, what problems do they create, what is the Three Gorges Dam and what it is supposed to do? Yellow, Yangtea . Past used for transportation and irrigation. Problems, Floods ruin population on the banks of river. Grand Canal from north to south (bejing to Hangzhou). Three gorges dam, world’s largest dam for flood control and provide electricity...
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...Japan has a system that costs half as much and usually achieves better medical outcomes than the American Healthcare System. After extensive research it seems certain government regulations work in favor of Japans Healthcare System. Japan has a tight grip on its system by banning insurance company profits, limiting doctor fees and accepting shortcomings in care that many Americans would find intolerable. National health insurance in Japan is the result of a gradual process that can be traced back to 1905 when companies began providing limited benefits for its employees. In the years afterward more and more corporations began offering benefits through mutual aid societies. A health insurance law was developed in 1922 that was inspired by the German system established by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1883. The law was implemented in 1927, mandating coverage by enterprises and it created an important role for the government as far as provisioning health insurance to those not covered by employers. In 1938, health insurance was extended to those who were self-employed such as farmers, fishermen, foresters and other groups not covered by the 1922 law. By 1938 the law was revised to include the remaining 30 percent of the population who had not previously been covered. This revision was the first step in extending health insurance to occupational groups. Every government jurisdiction was required to provide health insurance to every uncovered resident by 1961. Since 1961 all Japanese...
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...opportunities. The first target market was Japan. The potential for coffee sales in Japan is significant. The Japanese economy is the third to the United States and China with a gross domestic product (GDP) of U.S. $5.96 trillion in 2012. Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. is a major operator in the Japanese coffee store (retail sales of coffee and related goods and equipment) industry and has a paid-in-capital of 8,521 million yen (Starbucks, 2013). Starbucks Coffee Japan faces business risks and challenges as the company comes to the ten-year milestone of operations. Business expansion continues with new store openings, but concern persists about the stagnant Japanese economy. Since the opening of the first store on August 2, 1996, in the Ginza district of Tokyo, the network has expanded rapidly throughout the country and has reached 1000 stores in 2013. We are going to analyze the current status of Starbucks Coffee Japan and identify its strengths and weaknesses. Regarding their global brand and Japanese market, we will give the recommendation of business strategy for Starbucks Japan. Starbucks in Japan Starbucks Coffee Japan was established in October 1995, as a joint venture between Sazaby League and Starbucks Coffee International, the international arm and subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Each company held a 50% stake in the venture, Starbucks Coffee of Japan. Starbucks initially invested $10 million...
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...Malaise Three simple models for why Japan’s economy will never grow again Michael Smitka Professor of Economics Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 24450-0303 MSmitka@wlu.edu Version 2 May 23, 2003 ---------------The first version was entitled Three Simple Models for Undergraduate Economists and was prepared for the ASIANetwork Conference, Furman University, April 11-13, 2003. This paper differs primarily in the introduction and summary, and in the addition of more figures. The core analysis and most of the calculatioins remain the same. Smitka / The End of Growth v2 May 23, 2003 Page 1 I. Introduction I argue below that Japan’s economy will not grow again, and that (with hindsight) this should not be surprising. First, Japan has matured, to the point where its labor force is in decline. Such an economy is unlikely to grow in absolute terms. Second, that maturation occurred in a short span of time, resulting in large structural shifts in the economy. These strained the Japanese financial system past the breaking point, and have stymied efforts at macroeconomic stimulus. I believe, however, that the magnitude of these shifts would have overwhelmed any financial structure. I do not deny that Japan’s financial system exhibited large vulnerabilities, and its macroeconomic policy systematic failures. Again, I believe that these are beside the point. Third, the current structure of Japan’s economy is not sustainable; financial liabilities (bank deposits, government...
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...Japan economy remains mired in recession despite attempts by Government to stimulate economic growth over years. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is not as great as it was before asset-price bubble. The monetary measures implemented by Japan new government to solves two-decades of sluggish growth has been brought up to G20 meeting at Moscow on February 2013, to determine on its compatibility with G20 agreement. It has been endorsed by G20 communities for its important role in global economy. Economist anticipated recovery would be slow as deflation has raged in Japan for near to two-decades. This paper examines the deflation issues in Japan; to shed some lights on the causes of deflation and several issues arises from prolonged deflation. Lastly, new stimulus package to expand economy will be highlighted. The effectiveness and potential side effects of policy will be discussed. Deflation, which was not a serious monetary issue has entrenched and gained attention globally for its prolonged effects in Japan. (Bernanke 2003). According to Blink and Dorton (2007), deflation occurs when average price level has generally declined. Deflation refers to situation where inflation rate falls below zero zones. It is categorized into two board explanation. “Good” deflation finds it source from improvement on supply side of economy. As figure (1) refers, increased Aggregate Supply (AS) will increase the real output and leads to decline in price level. “Bad” deflation results from...
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...An Economic Comparison of Japan 日本国 And South Korea 대한민국 Introduction South Korea and Japan have had a close relationship from ancient history to the present day. Because of this reason, their economic growth and development have similarities and disparate differences. This paper will discuss some of the two countries’ major characteristics including geographic, social, and political characteristics and look at their histories and economies. Another reason that it is natural to compare them is their economic growth has mirrored one another. Both emerged from a war with its economy devastated and its infrastructure in ruins. Both countries changed with the economic climate of the time and took advantage of foreign investment in order to rebuild. Finally, both countries used their strengths to develop their economies to the point that they are world leaders in their field. Finally, both counties enjoy close political and economic relations with the United States, with each country being among our Top 10 largest trading partners. We have been a good friend to both, which has helped to stabilize relations in the regions between the two. Brief History (Since World War 2) The Korean Peninsula was occupied by Japanese forces for 35 years, from 1910 until the end of WW2 in 1945. Due to existing agreements, Japanese forces in Northern Korea surrendered to the Soviets and those in South Korea to the United States. The Korean War (1950-1953) was an attempt...
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...Harvard Business School / Harvard Kennedy School Microeconomics of Competitiveness Japanese Skin Care Cluster Jinfeng Huang | Victor Stone | Tatsuhiko Sunouchi | Victoria Tan | Takeshi Tashiro May 10, 2013 Table of Contents 1. Japan Competitiveness………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1 1.1 Country Background……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1 1.2 Macroeconomic History………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 1.3 Political Risks…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 1.4 Abenomics…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 1.5 Social Infrastructure and Demography…………………………………………………………………………………..........4 1.6 Microeconomic Competitiveness and National Diamond Analysis…………………………………………………4 1.7 National Cluster Mapping……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 1.8 industrial Cluster Policy Since 2001……………………………………………………………………………………………….9 2. Skin Care Industry Overview………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 2.1 Competitions and Key Players……………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 2.2 Market Dynamics………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
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