TOKYO: Japanese companies are unlikely to raise wages significantly this year and inflation will be well below the official target, economists said in a Reuters poll, suggesting tough challenges for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's drive to end years of falling prices and generate robust growth.
The forecasts bolster the view that, with a few high-profile exceptions, businesses are cautious about passing on higher profits to employees, which is seen as vital to Abe's hopes for sustained growth in the world's third-biggest economy.