National Oct 25, 2020
The government will release an initial estimate in December before finalizing the figure next year but it is likely to strike a record low for the fifth consecutive year.
National Jun 29, 2020
The collection rate marked its eighth straight year of increase, rising 10.7 points from the record low of 58.6 percent recorded in fiscal 2011.
Business Mar 3, 2020
The government decided Tuesday to reform the pension system by expanding the range of part-time workers who can join the kōsei nenkin public pension program for corporate employees. The measure is aimed at increasing the number of people, especially women and elderly workers who tend ...
Business / Tech | Commentary Feb 5, 2020
Robots, including one by Sony, are coming for fund management jobs
by Mark Gilbert
Remember Aibo, the computerized dog Sony Corp. started selling in 1999 as the first personal robot? Hiro Mizuno, the chief investment officer of the Government Pension Investment Fund, does. So he asked Sony's computer science lab unit to build him a cyberhound using artificial ...
Business Jan 16, 2020
War of attrition: Macron plans to financially grind down French strikers
When French trade unions declared a nationwide strike to protest against planned pension reforms, Nicolas, a 34-year-old maintenance technician with the Paris metro, went on strike for three straight weeks. Then he went back to work. "It was a financial thing," he said as he ...
Business Jan 13, 2020
French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions
A crippling French transport strike dragged into its 39th day on Sunday despite the government's offer to withdraw the most contested measure of the pension reform plans that sparked the protest. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Saturday he would drop plans to increase the official ...
Business / Economy Jan 10, 2020
French unions take to streets in make-or-break pension protest
French trade unions disrupted rail services, cut power output and brought demonstrators onto the streets in cities across France on Thursday in a make-or-break push to force President Emmanuel Macron to abandon his planned pension reform. The country's hard-left unions rallied supporters hoping to regain ...
Business / Economy Jan 9, 2020
Paris shops' sales halved as strikes bring chaos to the city
Five weeks into strikes crippling French transport, Emile Sebbag is agonizing over how to keep afloat his two Parisian clothing stores, deserted by shoppers as the backlash against France's pension reform drags on. The start of winter sales on Wednesday — traditionally a big event ...
World Jan 5, 2020
Thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday against French President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reforms that have sparked a monthlong transport strike. Some protesters donned the yellow vests that over the past year have become symbolic of opposition to Macron's attempts at reforms that he says ...
Business Dec 26, 2019
Christmas crawl as French transport strike enters fourth week, exacts financial toll
Christmas Day brought no respite for travelers in France as a transport strike entered its fourth week, ruining the plans of thousands wanting to celebrate with loved ones. Many people scrambled at the last minute to make alternative arrangements as the protest against pension reform ...
Business Dec 25, 2019
Christmas Eve 2019 was an unusually gloomy one for France as the 20th day of a transport strike left many scrambling on Tuesday to reach their loved ones for the traditional family feast, while others simply gave up. The protest against pension reform has led ...
Business Dec 23, 2019
Holiday travelers across France scrambled for alternatives Sunday as an 18-day-old transport strike over pension reform saw train services slashed yet again. President Emmanuel Macron issued an appeal on Saturday for a truce over the holidays, three days after talks between the government and unions ...