Datawatch: News & Insights

A survey by Japan's education ministry found only 8% of universities in Japan have programs to support the launch of new businesses by researchers.

Datawatch

Japan's universities fail to make the most of intellectual property

Due to lack of support, patents earn only 2% compared to U.S. schools

9 March 2024

The competitive landscape in the commercial space market changed drastically after Russia invaded Ukraine and lost its share of the satellite launch business.

Datawatch

Space superpower Russia falls down to earth

Orders for satellite launches plummet 90% as India and China fill the void

2 March 2024

With their demographic dividends petering out, some ASEAN economies are facing the risk of getting old before they get rich.

Datawatch

Aging Southeast Asia grapples with weak social safety nets

State pensions cover less than 30% of working-age population in some countries

17 February 2024

The practice of local self-government is increasingly at risk in Japan, with fewer residents eager to join regional assemblies and more municipal leaders asserting authority over budget and other legislative matters.

Datawatch

Japan's hollowing out of regional legislatures deepens

Causes include unilateral actions by local chiefs, lack of aspiring lawmakers

10 February 2024

The world is bracing for a surge in exports of cheap building materials from China as the country continues to face a housing glut, which reached an equivalent of 50 million homes at the end of 2023.

Datawatch

Housing glut leaves China with excess homes for 150m people

Market hit by a double whammy of weak sales and population drop

3 February 2024

A wide pay gap between regular and nonregular workers has depressed the overall wage level in Japan.

Datawatch

Nonregular workers struggle to go full-time in labor-scarce Japan

Only 7.4% of fixed-term employees landed secure jobs in 2022

27 January 2024

Last year's megafires in Canada produced as much carbon dioxide as three years of economic activity.

Datawatch

Global warming fuels extreme wildfires in a feedback loop

Blazes burn twice as much as 20 years ago; Canada lost an area half Japan's size in 2023

21 January 2024

Light pollution from massive constellations of low-altitude satellites could seriously affect astronomical observations.

Datawatch

Satellite glints grow in night skies

Low-altitude constellations may soon account for 10% of glow in some areas

13 January 2024

The number of fraudulent business emails in the first half of 2023 increased 89% globally from the same period the previous year, according to Abnormal Security.

Datawatch

Generative AI contributes to increase in cybercrimes

Business-related fraud doubles as new technology makes crime more efficient

7 January 2024

Prices of rice remain high in Asia as its major exporters move to prioritize domestic demand.

Datawatch

Higher rice prices keep inflation simmering in Asia

Prices of staple food hit a 15-year high due to extreme weather and export ban

31 December 2023

Energy companies and other buyers of carbon emissions credits have begun to question their effectiveness in curbing global warming.

Datawatch

Weak trading in carbon credits blunts world decarbonization drive

Futures fall 90% as effectiveness of carbon offsets questioned

24 December 2023

Japan's gender pay gap of more than 20% is nearly double the average of developed countries, according to the OECD.

Datawatch

Japan's 'greedy work' practices blamed for gender pay gap

Freed from child-rearing, more men work long hours to seek higher pay, promotion

16 December 2023

Online platforms are giving less prominence to external links as they try to keep users on their sites to enhance their value as channels for advertising.

Datawatch

Japan's websites see traffic from X and Facebook fall up to 40%

Social media companies vie to corral users, affecting news and review sites

9 December 2023

Southeast Asia is raking in foreign direct investment as the region positions itself as a buffer zone amid the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.

Datawatch

U.S. and China butt heads over investment in Southeast Asia

Region attracted a record $222bn in foreign direct investment in 2022

2 December 2023

Many elderly widows in Japan depend on survivor's pensions and have lower incomes than welfare recipients.

Datawatch

Older single women face growing risk of poverty in Japan

Over 30% of those 65 or older fall below poverty line after death of spouses

26 November 2023

The number of businesses that moved their head office to Tokyo's 23 wards rose 13% on the year in the first eight months of this year.

Datawatch

Tokyo again acts as a magnet for corporate Japan

Falling rents and a growing need for in-person meetings spur relocations

19 November 2023

With the yuan at its lowest point against the dollar since 2007, Chinese monetary authorities seem eager to step in to support the country's currency.

Datawatch

What is behind the 40% drop in China's U.S. Treasury holdings?

Market players see Beijing selling American debt to prop up the yuan

4 November 2023

As workers continue to struggle with inflation and technological innovations at work, the number of days lost to work stoppages has soared in the U.S. and the U.K.

Datawatch

Strikes hit U.S. and Europe as workers worry about job security

Concerns grow over persistent inflation and the threat of AI in the workplace

29 October 2023

Japan's trade ministry proposed allowing loss-making small businesses to carry forward the tax benefits of wage hikes until they become profitable.

Datawatch

Japan fails to boost wages with tax break

About 60% of smaller companies remain ineligible due to unprofitability

21 October 2023

With the growing availability of skilled freelancers, many businesses in Japan outsource core management work, including corporate planning and personnel reform.

Datawatch

Japan Inc. entrusts key management tasks to outside experts

Pool of freelance specialists jumps threefold over 4 years

15 October 2023

Consumers perceive inflation as much higher than official figures indicate at the moment, largely due to sharp increases in the price of things like restaurant dining, hotel accommodation and gasoline.

Datawatch

Japan statistics fail to fully capture inflation surge

Consumers feel price rise over 10 points higher than official data

7 October 2023

Datawatch

Japan's preference for floating-rate mortgages stokes market fears

Sweden's experience a warning as speculation rises over a BOJ policy U-turn

30 September 2023

The market for EVs remains small in Japan, making it difficult to operate charging stations profitably and presenting a chicken-and-egg problem for policymakers.

Datawatch

Japan's EV infrastructure is aging as market fails to take off

Rising number of closures of charging stations delays spread of electric cars

23 September 2023

Datawatch

Japan's world-leading chip materials makers risk being acquired

Their relatively small scale makes them ideal targets for foreign competitors

16 September 2023

Japan has lagged behind other countries in Europe and Asia in imposing taxes on consumer goods imported by individuals.

Datawatch

Surging e-commerce imports threaten Japan's retail sector

Parcel deliveries of cross-border merchandise jumped 2.4 times over three years

9 September 2023