from the Nikkei (January 20)

子育て世代　働く女性最多　３５～４４歳、初の7割超　景気回復　環境も改善　
There are an increasing number of women who are working while raising their children. According to data of a survey by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, the ratio of women now having a job and seeking a job among those of 35 to 44 ages stands at 71.3 percent as an average from January to November in 2013, up 1.6 points from the coresponding period a year before.In the circumstances that among those who belong to this age group there are many who have to give up their jobs because of their responsibility for raising their children, it is the first ever that the ratio exceeds the 70 percent threshold. This is considered to be what has resulted from favorable factors such as economic recovery and establishment of more and more nurseries.

from today's Nikkei

投信　長期運用志向に　毎月分配の比率低下　株高・NISAが追い風　　

There is a new trend appearing in the investment trust market. An increasing number of trust companies are investing more funds on a long-term basis than ever before while reducing the numbers of delivering their dividends. Accordingly, such types of products are increasing in the market. When companies get profits, they prefer to invest them into the same assets again, instead of delivering dividens to their customers.It is clear that behind this trend there are factors such as Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA) and high stock prices, which are serving as a tail wind.