Japanese salarymen’s allowances fell to the lowest in 33 years even as the cost of lunch surged, showing the pinch felt by workers that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is counting on to drive a recovery in the economy.
Monthly spending money, often set by wives who control family budgets, dropped to 37,642 yen ($306), down 4.9 percent from last year, according to Shinsei Bank Ltd., a Tokyo-based lender whose data go back to 1979. Salarymen spent 601 yen for lunch on average, up from 541 yen, reflecting higher costs of food and a sales-tax hike, the bank said.