Record 91.5 Pct of Japan Firms Raise Wages in 2025

Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–A record 91.5 pct of Japanese companies have raised or plan to raise wages this year amid rising inflation and manpower shortages, a labor ministry survey showed Tuesday. The proportion grew from 91.2 pct in the previous year, hitting the highest level on records dating back to 1999. Companies have raised or plan to raise wages by 4.4 pct on average, also a record high. In the previous year, the figure stood at 4.1 pct. Among companies with regular pay raise systems, 57.8 pct reported they have implemented or plan to implement a pay scale increase. The ratio stood at 85.2 pct among companies with 5,000 or more employees and 53.3 pct among those with 100 to 299 employees. The survey was conducted in July and August among companies with 100 or more employees, with responses given from 1,847 companies. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]