Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday he would increase spending on social programs and raise the minimum wage as he tries to jump-start the flagging economy ahead of an election next summer.
Mr. Abe said the government would give cash handouts to the elderly poor, and build child-care and elder-care facilities to help people enter and stay in the workforce, as part of a stimulus package expected to cost at least ¥3 trillion .
Mr. Abe hopes to revive an economy that has slipped into recession for the second time in two years, heightening skepticism about whether Abenomics will ultimately succeed in generating sustainable growth.