UPGRADE 1-With eye on post-COVID world, Japan policymakers step up calls for greater minimum wage

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TOKYO, March 24 (Reuters) – Japanese policymakers are stepping up calls to raise the country’s minimum wage as part of a strategy to ensure households can improve usage and revitalise the economy when COVID-19 curbs are eliminated and vaccines are rolled out.

” We must seek to raise Japan’s minimum wage to around 1,000 yen ($ 9/hour) from the existing average of about 900 yen,” he stated.5200 yen Reporting by Leika Kihara; Extra reporting by Daniel Leussink Modifying by Chang-Ran Kim, Michael Perry and Kim Coghill