“How the COVID-19
Crisis is Perceived”

Contents
Survey Methodology

Perception of COVID-19

Perception of the Economic Crisis

Perception on the Government Response2

Methodology
Research Body：

Yamaneko Research Institute, Inc., Platform for Social Innovation

ResearchExecution：

Nikkei Research Inc.

Methodology：

Internet Panel Survey

Sample Size：

N=2098（Post data cleaning)• 18-19y：212、20’s：312、30’s：320、40’s、323、50’s：325、60’s：315、70’s and above：291

Research Period：

April 27-28, 2020
•The survey results were adjusted based on demographic data as ofOctober 2019 to ensure realistic age representation. Responses
pertaining to profiles of the respondents, or age-based segment analysis
are not adjusted.

•Contradictions in the respondents’ answers were used for data cleaning,
resulting in a N=2,098 sample size for the various analysis• Ensure that household income ≧ individual income• Ensure respondents did not mechanically choose the same answer• Consistency regarding employments status (Q3, Q12, and Q13)
3

Close to 90% of the respondents are concerned
about the health effects of COVID-19

Q: Are you concerned about the effects ofCOVID-19 to your personal health?
1.7%

Q: Are you concerned about the effects ofCOVID-19 to your family’s health?

1.9%

1.1%

3.0%

7.2%

9.7%
42.2%

49.7%
39.0%
44.6%

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

Not concered at all

I don't know

Not really concerned

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

Not concered at all

I don't know

Not really concerned4Concern for COVID-19’s health effects increase inline with higher consumption of Television…
Do not consume at all

Rarely consume

Consume periodically

Consume regularly

Consume almost every day

Consume every day
0%20%

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

Not concerned at all

I don't know

40%

60%

80%

100%

Not really concerned5

… but do not necessarily differ across age
demographics
Over 70's
60's
50's
40's
30's

20's
18-19y
0%

20%

40%

60%

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

Not concerned at all

I don't know

80%

100%

Not really concerned6Less than a third of workers have been able tomove to a new style of working…

Q: How has your working style changed?

Q: How has your personal compensationchanged?

2.6%
6.6%
16.7%

10.3%

50.6%

16.1%
67.0%

30.1%

No change
Introduced remote work/less commute
Temporarely on leave
Lost my job

No change
Somewhat reduced
Significantly reduced
No pay at all7

More than 35％ of households have already seen a reductionin their income while more than 50% are expecting it

Q: How has your household’s income beeaffected?
1.6%

Q: How do you expect your income tochange over time?
0.7%
3.6%
3.3%

2.0%

10.3%
16.7%
25.8%

40.0%
60.4%

Significanltly increase
No changeSignificanltly decrease

Somewhat increase
Somewhat decrease

35.6%

Significanltly increase

Somewhat increase

No change

Somewhat decrease

Significanltly decrease

I don't know

8As expected, reduction of income is especially acute fortemporarily workers, the self-employed, and students.
100%

8%

10%

90%
80%

22%
20%

24%

3%
10%

3%
10%

9%
24%

13%

70%

26%

9%

19%
23%

25%

60%

67%
26%

50%
40%

100%
66%

87%

68%

85%

54%

30%

80%
45%

46%

43%

20%

33%
1%
1%

Health professional

Somewhat decreased

Public servant

No change3%3%Out of workforce

5%
3%

Freelance/Self-employedTemporary employees

Somewhat increased

2%

Students

Contract Employees

Significantly increased

3%2%Housewives/husbands

5%Part-time employees

9%

Full-time employees

0%

3%
3%

Pensioners

10%

Significantly decreased
9Around 20% temporary and contract workers are
currently out of work, and unemployment is on the rise
60%

55%

54%

51%

50%
44%

40%

37%

35%

34%
30%

30%

26%

25%

23%

21%

20%

21%

16%
13%

10%

8%
0% 0%

0%

0% 0%0%0% 0%Introduced some remote work measures
Have lost job

Freelance/Self-employedStudent

Temporary employee

Contract employee

Full-time employee
Same workstyle as before
Temporarily on leave
Have not been working

4%

3%

10Consequently, 45% of respondents are suffering
economically, and 47% of workers fear losing their job

Q: Which of the following bests represents
your economic status?

Q: Which of the following best represents
prospects regarding your job?

5.3%
9.5% 10.2%
16.7%

11.9%

19.9%

34.4%
30.7%

33.9%

Seeverely suffering

Somewhat suffering

Not suffering at all

I don't know

Not really suffering

27.4%

Very worriedSomewhat worried

Not worried at all

I don't know

Not really worried

11

The most respondents believe the government should lift theState of Emergency Declaration in one more month

Q: How much longer do you think you canbare the current “self-refrain” statusunder the State of Emergency declaration?

Q: When do you think the State ofEmergency should be lifted?
(Question was asked on April 27-28)

12.1%

17.1%
3.5%

24.0%11.3%

6.0%

3.2%

32.8%

8.1%

16.5%

45.6%

19.8%

Untill May 6

1 more month

3 more months

Untill May 6

1 more month

3 more months

6 more months

12 more months

As long as necessary

6 more months

12 more months

As long as necessary

12

…1 month seems to be the most popular period
across industries
Q: Schools

Q : Restaurants

100%

100%

80%

80%
As long as necessary60%

As long as necessary

60%

12 months

12 months

40%

6 months

40%

6 months

20%

3 Months

20%

3 Months

1 monthNot working

Self-employed

May 6thQ: Travel

100%

100%80%80%
As long as necessary

60%

Students

Q: Other commercial facilities

Pensioners

Housewives

Part-time

TemporaryContract

May 6th

1 month0%

Full-time

Not working

Self-employedStudents

Pensioners

Housewives

Part-time

TemporaryContract

Full-time0%

As long as necessary

60%

12 months

12 months

40%

6 months

40%

6 months

20%

3 Months

20%

3 Months

1 monthNot working

Self-employedStudents

Pensioners

Housewives

Part-time

TemporaryContract

May 6th

1 month0%

Full-time

Not working

Self-employedStudents

Pensioners

Housewives

Part-timeTemporary

Contract

Full-time0%

May 6th13

70% of housewives/husbands in their 20’s to 40’s believe
school closures should end within 1 month
Q: How much longer do you think you canbare the current “self-refrain” statusunder the State of Emergency declaration?

Q: When do you think schools should
reopen?
(Question was asked on April 27-28)

14%

17%

25%

13%

0%
5%
1%

0%
10%

5%

55%

56%

Untill May 6

1 more month

Untill May 6

1 more month

3 more months

6 more months

3 more months

6 more months

12 more monthsAs long as necessary

12 more months

As long as necessary14

People with unstable working status tend to want to reopen theeconomy, while pensioners tend to be more cautious
Q: How much longer do you think you can bare the current “self-refrain” statusunder the State of Emergency declaration?
TemporaryPar-time
Contract
Full-time
HousewiveStudent
Self-employedPensioner
Not working
0%
May 6th20%
1 month

3 months

40%
6 months

60%

80%

100%

12 months

As long as necessary

15

The perceived optimal balance between health concerns andthe economy does not differ across age segments
Q: How should the quarantine (e.g. “self-refraining measures”) be balanced againstconcerns to the economy?

4%

9%

70代…

14%

60代
50代
40代
31%

30代
42%

20代
18-19歳
0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

No matter the effect to the economy if it can save one life
Some damage to the economy is fine to save lives
Efforts to save lives should be balanced with concens for the economy
The economy could effect more lives thus quarintines should be avoided
I don't know
16The 300K Yen support package towards low income
households are unpopular, while the 100K Yen package
towards all citizens has more than 70% support
100%

6.9%
6.1%

10.9%

80%

13.0%
5.6%

16.2%

26.7%

16.2%

60%
30.0%

49.6%

49.0%

40%

20%

24.2%

21.3%

0%

8.2%

300K Yen package
Very much support

Somewhat support

100K Yen package
Do not really support

16.2%

Small Business package
Do not support at all

I don't know

17Nearly 50% intend to spend the support package onhousehold costs, 20% are interested to donate, and 5% want
to donate a majority of it
100%
Wil not spend(Save, Donate,etc.)
Between 10-30%

8.4%
More than that
0.7%

90%
80%

I don’t know

2.3%

70%

Between 30-50%

70～90%
0.5%

All of it

1.8%

50-70%

Don’t intend
to donate60%
30～50%
Between 50-70%

4.1%

50%

10～30%
40%
22.3%
Between 70-90%

30%
12.4%
20%

Spend all on
household costs

10%0%
Q27.How do you intend tospend your 100K package?

Q: How much of the 100K package are youwilling to donate?
18Of the 30% or so who consider donating part(all) of
their package, many are not sure where to donate
30%

Others25%

I'm not certain how to allocate
20%

Towards organizations in mycommunity

15%

Towards organizations
featured on the Internet/SNS

10%

Tawards organizations featuredon TV

5%

Towards known establishedorganizations

0%

Q: How do you intend to allocate yourdonations?

19Medical organizations top the list on where to donate.
About 30% will additionally concern to donate if there is atax incentive
Q: Where you want to donate?

Q: Would you consider donating if
there was a tax incentive?

Overseas

3.3%

Other9.5%

Local government

22.9%

14.0%

RetailCultural
20.7%

Poverity/Abuse

29.6%

Restaurants
Other social
MedicalIncrease the amount I donate
0%

10%

20%

Keep the amount I donate
Will consider to donate
Don't want to donate if there is a personal burdenWill not donate as the tax incentive is complicated
Others20

Only around 30% of respondents support Abe
Administration’s COVID-19 response
Q: How do you support Abe Administration’s COVID-19 response?
7.0%

4.5%

26.9%
28.0%

33.6%

Very much support

Somewhat support

Do not support at all

I don't knowDo not really support

21

Employment concerns tend to lower support towards theAdministration, but don’t necessarily lead to support
towards the Opposition
Q: Support towards the LDP（By employment concern categories)

Q: Support towards CDP(By employment concern categories)

100%

100%

90%

90%

80%

80%

70%

70%

60%

60%

50%

50%

I don't know

40%

I don't know

40%

Do not support at all
30%
20%

Not really support

Do not really support

Somewhat support

20%

Somewhat support

Very much support

10%
0%

Do not support at all
30%

Very much support

10%0%Not concerned at all

Not really concerned

Somewhat concerned

Very concerned

Not concered at all

Not really concerned

Somewhat concerned

Very concerned

22Conclusion⚫ Close to 90% are concerned of their own health with regard to COVID-19.
this trend is consistent across age demographics while people who watch
more TV tend to be more concerned.
⚫ Over a third of households have already seen a decrease in their income,and more than half expect a decrease in the future. A third of part-timeworkers have lost their pay entirely, and 40% of the self-employedexperience a significant decrease of their income.
⚫ Between 20-30% of non-full-time workers are temporarily on leave, and halfof all workers have concerns towards their future employment. A prolonged“self-restrain” period to the economy is likely to cause mass unemployment.
⚫ Perception towards when to reopen the economy affected more based on
employment status rather than age. Nearly 60% believe the economy should
be reopened within 1 month.
⚫ In addition to addressing the health concerns, the government and media
should take immediate action to reopen the economy within a month.
23

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