Japan's PM denies he plans to quit after election drubbing
That comes after a source close to the leader and media reports said he planned to announce his resignation following a recent election defeat in the government's upper house.
When asked about the reports at his party's headquarters on Wednesday, the embattled leader said, quote, "I have never made such a statement...The facts reported in the media are completely unfounded."
The reports came as Ishiba announced a long-sought trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
That deal lowers tariffs on imports of Japanese autos and spares Tokyo punishing new levies on other goods.
The source said Ishiba chose not to quit straight after the election to prevent political instability ahead of the August 1 deadline for the trade deal.
They asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to talk to the media.
Japanese media reported earlier that Ishiba would announce his resignation next month.
Ishiba's departure less than a year after taking office would trigger a succession battle within his ruling Liberal Democratic party.
The LDP is working to strengthen support after a Sunday election in which the ruling coalition failed to secure a majority in the upper chamber…
…and shed votes in the contest to opposition parties, particularly on the right.
Ishiba's successor's immediate priority would be to secure support from enough opposition party lawmakers to win confirmation as prime minister.
The source told Reuters the incoming leader is unlikely to call a general election straight away, and would likely first move to strengthen the party's appeal before seeking a mandate from voters.
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But a higher proportion of older adults does not necessarily mean the proportion of workers to nonworkers falls. For one thing, the proportion of children under age 18 in the population also declines, so the number of working-age adults—usually defined as ages 18 to 64—often changes relatively little. And as older adults stay healthier and more active, a growing number of them are contributing to the economy. Labor force participation among Americans ages 65 to 74 increased from 21.4% in 2003 to 26.9% in 2023 — and is expected to increase to 30.4% by 2033. Modest changes in the average age of retirement or in how Social Security is funded would further reduce strains on support programs for older adults. What's more, pronatalists' core argument that a higher birth rate would increase the size of the labor force overlooks some short-term consequences. More babies means more dependents, at least until those children become old enough to enter the labor force. Children not only require expensive services such as education, but also reduce labor force participation, particularly for women. As fertility rates have fallen, women's labor force participation rates have risen dramatically —from 34% in 1950 to 58% in 2024. Pronatalist policies that discourage women's employment are at odds with concerns about a diminishing number of workers. Research shows that economic policies and labor market conditions, not demographic age structures, play the most important role in determining economic growth in advanced economies. And with rapidly changing technologies like automation and artificial intelligence, it is unclear what demand there will be for workers in the future. Moreover, immigration is a powerful—and immediate—tool for addressing labor market needs and concerns over the proportion of workers. Overall, there's no evidence for Elon Musk's assertion that 'humanity is dying.' While the changes in population structure that accompany low birth rates are real, in our view the impact of these changes has been dramatically overstated. Strong investments in education and sensible economic policies can help countries successfully adapt to a new demographic reality.
