Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2012 November 21 - 27 [LABOR]

Big business increases internal reserves amid economic downturn

Despite a long slowdown of the Japanese economy, Japan’s top 20 listed companies have increased their amount of earned surpluses, which make up the main part of their internal reserves, by 1.45 trillion yen in fiscal 2011 from the previous year.

The amount of increase is equivalent to the sum of wages of 290,000 workers who earn five million yen a year. If the money is used for job creation, a lot of unemployed persons can get a job.

An Akahata survey shows that the total sum of the 20 largest corporations’ retained earnings came to 62.84 trillion yen in 2011. The amount was 61.39 trillion yen in 2010, and 59.1 trillion yen in 2009.

In 2011, Toyota’s accumulated earnings went up by 81.4 billion yen to 11.92 trillion yen, which is the highest nationwide. Honda takes second place, whose earned surpluses were 5.82 trillion yen in 2011, increased by 103.3 billion yen from the previous year.

The proper use of those internal reserves is essential to rebuild the Japan’s economy.

The Japanese Communist Party argues that large companies should return a fair portion of their enormous internal reserves to the general public in order to revitalize the economy through boosting domestic demand. The party is working hard to establish rules to make this possible as well as to protect people’s lives and rights.