business

No pay rises for a third of Japanese professionals in 2011

18 Comments

Despite Asia offering the highest proportion of pay rises globally in 2011, 27% of professionals working across Japan did not receive a salary increase this year, according to a global survey of more than 3,200 professionals released by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters on Wednesday.

The survey reveals that of the Japanese respondents, 44% received a pay rise of between 1-5%, 16% received between 6-10%, 2% received between 11-20% and 11% received more than 21%

Other Asian markets on the other hand received the highest salary increases of 10% or more - 45% of respondents from China, 26% of respondents in Thailand, 24% of respondents in Malaysia, 22% of respondents in Singapore and 21% of respondents from Hong Kong. The comparative figure for Japan was 13%.

Nathaniel Pemberton, Osaka manager at Robert Walters, comments: "Despite showing signs of slight recovery in early 2011, the cautious approach taken by many Japanese companies following the March earthquake may help explain the lack of pay rises, particularly those within the struggling manufacturing sector. "While it is still too early to determine what the future plans are for companies that temporarily relocated to Kansai, if a long-term move is decided, there will likely be pay rises to attract professionals from Tokyo-based operations and to retain their locally-based top performers."

© JCN Newswire

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

18 Comments
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Is it different anywhere outside Osaka? Cause im seriously thinking to move to a different city then. 3rd year here, no salary increases, no bonusses. sigh

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I'm surprised that so many received ANY pay raises.

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We received a pay cut last year. I cut my working hours in response.

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I have not gotten one nor any of my friends, and some have been here a long time and have had salary reduced due to the nursing care thing.

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Where are the salaries now compared to a few years ago I wonder? I know quite a few people who took paycuts (me included) in prior years. So a pay rise now may or may not bring them to the previous salary levels.

Also with the Japanese Yen continues to be this strong, I would expect firms to be more stingy with payrolls.

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I just got a payrise. only 4% but 'every little helps'

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As mentioned before, workers in public positions (like researchers) have to deal with the idea of the government to CUT the salary by up to 10 percent. Then for the summer bonus it will be a cut of 12.5 percent compared to last year. Never mind, also last year there was a bonus cut and also the winter bonus had been already cut 3 times in a row.

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Well Reckless, in 1994 the pay for JET was 300,000 yen and now, i'm on this program and it's still 300,000 yen, too. No pay rise.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

You have to look at things in relative terms, however. 300,000 yen back in the early 90s would have been tough - I have heard it was outrageously expensive to go out back then, rent was incredibly expensive etc. CD prices 20 years ago were around 3,500 yen, as opposed to 1600 now. 300,000 these days you can get by with ease, and still save. At least I can. Gotta love deflation - all my friends that visit Japan always comment on how cheap it is to go out! I guess this partially explains the decreasing number of pay rises...

Anyways, with the strong yen it is still good times.

If you come from Aus, unfortunately not in terms of sending yen back home! Our dollar is ludicrously strong because our economy is going gangbusters...much to my chagrin! Damn rich Australia and their mineral wealth!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It will get worse as the farming sector collapses, and exports decline, foreign investment reduces and health costs due to aged and radiated population rise. I can only say "Gumbetta"

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BurakuminDes makes a great point. If you were here in the 80s/90s and compare the cost of living to now, things are more or less cheaper across the board. There were no 100 yen shops and the such back in the day. And with deflation it becomes very difficult to offer employees raises. But then they/we are getting a kind of raise as we have more purchasing power than even last year in many cases. Throw in the strength of the yen against the US dollar over the past 2 years and that surely helps, too. So even if one hasn't gotten a raise, per se, I kind of think they have in a way. No?

Just wish less of my pay were going to taxes!

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Shrinking to at best flat economy with a shrinking population results in this. If employees think they are entitled to annual pay raises and bonuses they need to wake up and face the reality of Japan in the 21st century.

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Japan companies will continue to have limitations and actually decrease in wages. This is why some of the skilled Japanese workers will take opportunities to work in foreign countries like China and other emerging countries for few years to get a better pay and benefits. If profit is made from overseas operations, some companies will reward their productive workers with additonal bonuses. Good way to save money for short term.

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Must be tough times for Japanese companies with all the belt-tightening. I'm curious, though, if it's the same for foreign companies in Japan? I'm guessing they'd be a tad more generous in yearly raises.

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My pay is going up but working a teeny bit more.....

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I take reports from headhunting companies with a grain of salt. They send out a report saying that there are companies out there getting raises. This makes people interested in switching jobs, which is potential money for Robert Walters.

I'd like to see the figures gathered by organizations without a vested interest.

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Please come to US and see what's really going on here. Many major corporations are cutting workers pay by 10%. If no cut in pay, they are doing great! Hope this applies to all Japanese politicians, no? They are getting paid too much for little they do. Agree?

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