“Middle class” in crisis September 20, 21:37

"I didn't feel like my life was miserable, but my definition of middle class was a little higher."

A 55-year-old husband and his wife who have been working as full-time employees.

Looking back on my life so far, I murmured.

The balance of the mortgage is about 9 million yen.

I don't have enough savings, and I plan to continue working after retirement.

What is happening to Japanese society, which was once called “100 million total middle class”?

We will also consider the results of our own questionnaire survey.

(Corporate News Reporters Ryota Miyazaki, Ryosuke Sasaki, Osaka Broadcasting Station Content Center Section 3 Director Ma Yuxiang)

base salary not increasing

Mr. Kiyoshi Ozawa (pseudonym, 55) lives in Tokyo.

After graduating from high school, he got a full-time job at an automobile-related company.

At that time, the bubble was at its peak.

Every year, the base salary and the bonus continued to rise.

When he was 21, he married his wife Kyoko.

He was blessed with three children.

I bought an apartment when I was 27.

It was an annual custom for my family to go on a trip to a place my child wanted.

I felt that I could live what people call the “middle class” lifestyle.

However, this life did not last long.

As the Japanese economy entered an era of low growth, wages stopped growing.

The base salary, which had increased after joining the company, has only increased by 50,000 yen in the last 20 years.

Performance-based wages have also been reduced.

Annual income, which used to be over 7 million yen at its highest, is now around 5 million yen.

Children's college scholarships, mortgage repayments, and medical expenses.

During this time, the burden of taxes and social insurance premiums has also increased.

Together with my wife's annual income of 2.5 million yen, who works as a temporary employee, I manage my household budget.

“When I got married, the economy was booming and my salary was steadily rising, so I wasn’t worried about the future. I didn't feel like my life was miserable, but I went on a trip every year, I had a lot of savings, and I finished my mortgage when I was about 50. My definition of middle-class was my own. It was a slightly higher image in the

Now, the “middle class” is

Japan was once said to be a “100 million middle-class society”.

Economic growth was supported by people who worked hard at companies and had a strong desire to consume.

What is your perception of the “middle class” today?

This time, NHK conducted an online survey of men and women in their 20s to 60s nationwide from July to August this year in collaboration with the government-affiliated research institute "Labor Policy Research and Training Organization". got the answer.

First of all, when asked about "imagined" middle-class life "with multiple answers, about 60% of the respondents cited "regular employees", "owned houses", and "private cars".

On top of that, when asked, "Do you live a 'middle-class life' as you imagine it?", 56% said, "Below middle-class."

It is not natural to live like an image.

It can be said that such an era has come.

A regular employee who is also a symbol of the “middle class”.

Its income has been declining over the last 20 years.

According to the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, the lifetime wages of full-time university graduates for both men and women are estimated to have fallen by more than 35 million yen from the peak.

As wages fall, less money will be available for consumption.

Household disposable income is also declining, according to estimates by Takuya Hoshino, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, who is familiar with labor policy.

Regarding disposable income, there are various data, but as a model household in Japan in the past, we set up a household of "a man in his 40s, a wife who is a full-time housewife, and two elementary school children."

As a result, it was 5.76 million yen in 1990, but it was 4.63 million yen in 2020, a decrease of more than 1.13 million yen per year.

Anxiety about old age

Mr. and Mrs. Ozawa are worried about their post-retirement life.

Kiyoshi's retirement is approaching in five years.

I still have about $90,000 left on my mortgage.

Savings are not enough, and you have to pay back even after retirement.

Her wife, Kyoko, is trying to get a part-time job for moving work on Saturdays and Sundays in addition to the dispatch work on weekdays.

It doesn't mean that you will not be able to make ends meet anytime soon, but if you are unable to work due to illness or face an increase in expenses to care for your parents, you may not be able to maintain your current lifestyle.

My husband and I plan to continue working as long as we can.

Ms. Kyoko (pseudonym)

“My family is living on a bicycle, and I am doing a part-time job because I want to save as much money as I can while I still have the physical strength to move around. I don't work for fun at all.I can manage now, but I'm worried about my old age.Is it possible to continue like this?"

can't afford to live

Even if they continue to work as full-time employees, they cannot afford to live comfortably, and their anxiety about the future cannot be eliminated.

A survey by NHK and the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training also revealed that such people account for a certain percentage of the workforce.

When we asked full-time employees about their current lifestyle, 3% answered that they were “very comfortable” and 45% answered that they were “relatively relaxed”.

On the other hand, 41% answered that they “relatively cannot afford” and 11% answered that they “cannot afford it at all”.

By age group, 55% of those in their 40s and 57% of those in their 50s were higher than other age groups.

A person in charge of the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training analyzes the situation as follows.

"People

in their 40s and 50s experienced the bubble economy when they were young, but after that, due to economic stagnation, employment became unstable and wages rose as desired. It is the generation that has experienced things that are lost.In addition, there are many people who cannot afford to live because they need funds for their children's education expenses, nursing care for their parents, and their own old age."

Impact on younger generations of concern

From this survey, we can also see the impact on the younger generation.

In a survey conducted by NHK and the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, when people between the ages of 20 and 34 were asked if they could be richer than their parents, 34% of them answered that they could not be richer, one in three. 31% said they would be “about the same” and 15% said they would be richer.

Mr. Kazuhiro Aoki (pseudonym, 29 years old).

He works as a full-time employee for a food processing company.

His annual income is 4 million yen.

Although he works in sales, he has actively proposed new products.

Still, his wages have not increased since joining the company.

What he admires is his father who builds a "middle-class life" and leads a comfortable old age.

However, he feels that he cannot be like his parents very much.

Mr. Kazuhiro Aoki (pseudonym)

“My father is married, has his own home, a car, and children. "

Isn't it difficult to live a stable life in the future with only the income from the company?

Aoki started attending investment school in order to increase his income even a little.

I stopped hanging out with my friends who I cherished, and invested that amount in stocks.

Mr. Kazuhiro Aoki (pseudonym)

“I thought that if I worked hard, my salary would go up as much as I worked hard, but the seniors around me told me, 'You won't get a raise even if you work hard.' , I was disappointed when I heard that. I can't see a bright future, or my motivation doesn't increase.

In this survey, we also asked about "the most important condition for leading a good life."

When asked to choose from options such as "making a serious effort," "having a good education," and "being blessed with personal connections and connections," 57% of those in their 60s chose "making a sincere effort." However, it was 39% for those in their 20s, and there was a tendency for the younger age group to decline.

what impact it has on society

Wages don't rise and you can't feel "middle class".

How should we handle these situations?

We asked Professor Kohei Komamura of Keio University, who studies employment issues and economic policy.

Professor Kohei Komamura of Keio University

, "After the bursting of the bubble economy, as globalization progressed, it became difficult for Japanese companies to earn money. If you don't, you won't be able to expect a stable income, and you won't be able to see the future.This will lead to a decline in consumption and a declining birthrate, and there will be growing concerns that social dissatisfaction and anxiety will build up and society will be divided."

On top of that, Professor Komamura points out that it is necessary to see this as an issue for Japan as a whole.

Professor Kohei Komamura of Keio University

: "It is important to create a society in which workers can plan their future with peace of mind. To that end, companies should manage their businesses not only for short-term profits, but also by imagining the position and situation of workers." It is important to think about it.On the other hand, workers also need to pay more attention to their own careers and improve their skills in order to design an independent life. We have to create a mechanism that guarantees it, and we need to focus policy on the goal of reviving the middle class.”

Complicated factors are intertwined before the “middle class” reaches a crisis, and the path to resolution is not easy.

How should we think about this problem that affects our lives?

We will tell you in detail in the NHK special "Beyond the 'middle class crisis'".

Overcoming the “Midstream Crisis” “Part 1: Can we break free from dependence on companies?”

Overcoming the “Middle Class Crisis” “Second Prescription for Raising Wages”

News Reporter

Ryota Miyazaki

After working at the Yamagata Bureau

, interviewed the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of the Social Affairs Department.

Social Affairs Department Reporter

Ryosuke Sasaki

After working at the Tottori and Hiroshima Bureaus, he

covered a wide range of labor issues in the Social Affairs Department.

Osaka Broadcasting Station, Contents Center Section 3 Director

Ma Yuxiang

Focusing on the social security system