This year¡¯s winter bonuses at large companies averaged ?1,004,841, topping ?1 million for the first time since comparable data became available in 1981, a survey showed Wednesday.
The average rose 8.57% from a year before, up for the fourth consecutive year, according to the survey conducted by the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren.
The pace of increase was the second-fastest on record, after 8.92% in 2022. The previous record high was ?951,411, marked in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest results reflected ¡°robust earnings mainly in the manufacturing industry,¡± a Keidanren official said.
The average ¡°hit a record high, as it did in the summer,¡± the official also said. ¡°We confirmed that strong momentum for wage hikes has taken root.¡±
Bonuses among manufacturers averaged ?1,056,966, up 10.09%, with the average rising 18.88% in the oil sector, 17.25% in the automobile sector and 12.25% in the chemical sector.
The average for nonmanufacturers climbed 5.78% to ?896,495, with the commercial industry posting a 14.72% rise and the railway industry a 9.14% increase.
The survey covered companies with at least 500 employees in principle, with responses from 164 companies across 22 industries, representing about 973,000 workers.
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