Japanese salarymen forced to tighten their belts further amid Abenomics’ failings
Housewives cutting their husband’s allowances, leaving them less than HK$45 a day for lunch and under HK$900 a month for after-work drinks
Japanese salarymen are struggling to get by on the monthly allowance they receive from their wives, which has fallen to its lowest level in decades, a survey showed.
Despite frequently being the sole breadwinner, many Japanese husbands hand over their entire wage to the woman of the house, who often manages the family’s bills and balances the books.
The nation’s army of male office workers, known for their punishing work hours, now have an average of just 37,873 yen (HK$2,860, or US$370) to play with a month, according to a survey by Tokyo-based Shinsei Bank.
That is the third lowest total recorded in the lender’s annual survey. It is also way down from the heady days of the late 1980s and the early 1990s when the economy was booming and husbands enjoyed the high life with an average of 77,725 yen a month, said the bank, which has surveyed men’s allowances since 1979.
A weak economy and tepid pay rises are forcing many households to target discretionary spending, including husbands’ pocket money.
