Summer Bonuses Average Record 1.04 M. Yen among Major Japan Firms

Tokyo, Aug. 6 (Jiji Press)–The average summer bonus among major Japanese companies increased 7.04 pct from the previous year to 1,042,537 yen in 2026, the highest level since comparable data became available in 1981, the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, said Thursday. This marks the fifth consecutive year of bonus growth. An official of Keidanren’s labor policy headquarters said that strong wage increases have been spreading. Especially in the construction sector, which is facing serious labor shortages, the average bonus surged 59.59 pct to 2,026,633 yen, topping the 2-million-yen mark for the first time in any sector. The survey covered companies with 500 or more employees. Of the 22 sectors with available data, 17 logged increases. The average summer bonus rose by 6.23 pct to a record 1,093,629 yen among 126 manufacturers and by 8.96 pct to 941,145 yen among 37 nonmanufacturers. The nonferrous metals industry posted an average of 1,125,131 yen, up 21.64 pct, reflecting strong demand related to data centers. The food industry logged 1,220,637 yen, up 8.41 pct. On the other hand, the average bonus in the machinery metal industry declined 5.49 pct to 1,163,829 yen. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]