Coming Up For Air - A Brief Discussion Of The Ontology Of Abe's Womenomics

Shisaku is still on hiatus. However, I just had a conversation with Professor Noah Smith of Stonybrook on Twitter which is not entirely without interest. I nearly bring the exchage to a halt at one point with what is in retrospect is only a mildly amusing jest. To his immense credit, Professor Smith ignores my feeble attempt at humor and furthers the investigation.

Here's an even better chart of smoothed female & male working-age labor force participation in Japan and the U.S. pic.twitter.com/By3Z5JDkXS

— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) May 3, 2015

@MichaelTCucek A disproportionate share of fire-able workers are women.

— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) May 3, 2015

@MichaelTCucek But if there has been a trend break, then Womenomics is winning big.

— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) May 3, 2015

@MichaelTCucek That has happened in the U.S.

— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) May 3, 2015

@Noahpinion Yes but that would have implied transition out of trend that survived 2008 GFC without hiccup.

— Michael Thomas Cucek (@MichaelTCucek) May 3, 2015

@Noahpinion Agreed. When they hit 99% they tend to flatline. ; - )

— Michael Thomas Cucek (@MichaelTCucek) May 3, 2015

@MichaelTCucek I think Womenomics is only one piece of the wider overhaul of the Japanese corporation.

— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) May 3, 2015

@Noahpinion Yes, and as forever in the history of this blessed land, the "if" is always preceded by a sigh.

— Michael Thomas Cucek (@MichaelTCucek) May 3, 2015

@Noahpinion Agree again. However, we must still try to disambiguate demographic shifts, policy changes pre-Abe and policy changes post-Abe.

— Michael Thomas Cucek (@MichaelTCucek) May 3, 2015

@Noahpinion Which would leave for Abe and Company the credit -- and it is no mean achievement -- for at least not messing up a recovery.

— Michael Thomas Cucek (@MichaelTCucek) May 3, 2015