Uniqlo operator to raise annual salaries in Japan by up to 40%

That is impressive, they will still make a profit and retain staff. I am shocked and pleased at the same time. Let’s see what other companies rise to that challenge.

¥300,000 is a good starting salary for a graduate. 40% is a big increase. I hope more companies will follow.

Starting monthly salaries for university graduates will be increased to 300,000 yen from the current 255,000 yen, an annual pay hike of about 18 percent, the company said.

Imagine graduating from a uni and only earning 255,000 yen before tax. Those who were new hires a few years prior are probably punching air right now seeing their kohais earning as much as their raise over the years.

Good news for everyone not just Uniqlo, japan wages are among the lowest in comparison with other major economies, Japanese employees are extremely loyal and are not asking for anything more that what's been long overdue.

Give the workers what you have stolen from them for so long.

Zoroto

Today 05:15 pm JST

¥300,000 is a good starting salary for a graduate

> Is it? The after taxes with the high national and local taxes is 200,000. These new grads can barely afford the 100,000/mo low end Tokyo shoebox apartment.

Actually it is, I have 2 children both fairly recent graduates from university one 4 years business the other 6 years Masters in AI computer science the vast majority of job offers they received were below ¥200,000 a month very few even came near ¥300,000.

And ¥300,000 a month as an employee of a large well known company is a bonus.

Trying to Rent an apartment working for the corner 3 employee company making the same or even a bit more or working for a company like Uniqlo is a very different experience giving the Uniqlo employee far more choices, in just a few years bank loans mortgages etc ..will be far more accessible to the Uniqlo employee even with a lower salary than the guy making more at an unknown company.

Only 8,400 FT employees? That would mean that the majority of Uniqlo employees are PT and/or contractors with zero benefits. If they really wanna share their windfall profits with their staff, and spread goodwill among the public, they'd convert a good portion of them to FT status.

Now this is what I like to hear!! It ain't everyday you read about good news. These are REAL wage increases unlike my wife's 10 yen raise she got last year. So many high earning corporations can afford to do this but don't. They really need to follow Fast Retailing's lead.

The smaller and mom-and-pop businesses can't but if enough of the big ones do, the purchasing power will increase for many and smaller businesses will benefit.

"The best way to address the high commodity prices at the moment is to continuously raise wages to keep pace with rising prices," the top government spokesman said

I am wondering if there is any historical basis for this claim, or it is just wishful thinking.

The average salary in Tokyo in 2021 is around ¥325,000 per month

Zoroto

Today 05:52 pm JST

very few even came near ¥300,000

> At my company (,non Japanese) the starting salary of a new grad is around 600,000 per month before taxes

Please tell us those companies names!

I would like to see that.

You have any job postings to show that.

Recent job postings by a large foreign beer company was looking for a PA with university Japanese with business English and 10 years experience annual salary was ¥8 million the headhunter had to stop taking applications because he couldn't handle the amount of interest.

So ¥600,000 a month starting is ¥ 7.2 million a year, that would be amazing.

Now, they better improve their service! Especially in Ginza Chip Dori branch. The staff are cold, hostile, uninterested to help customers. The only time they suddenly became customer friendly was just after the lockdown in 2020. To my big surprise when all the staff wished irrasshaimasen so loudly and clearly. LOL.

Good but how many staff have been laid off due to the automatic cashiers in all shops ?

Y300,000pm is Y3.6m pa. In the UK the average starting salary for a graduate is £24,000 (Y3.8m) across the board, or £30,000 (Y4.8m) at a large company (like Uniqlo).

Their old salaries must have been really low by international standards. At least they are moving in the right direction. Didou makes a good point about the automatic cashiers, which are erasing supermarket jobs in the UK. Smaller companies are unlikely to have the profits or cost savings to match these rises.

garypen

Today 05:49 pm JST

Only 8,400 FT employees? That would mean that the majority of Uniqlo employees are PT and/or contractors with zero benefits. If they really wanna share their windfall profits with their staff, and spread goodwill among the public, they'd convert a good portion of them to FT status

Not unusual for retail store businesses.

The majority of FT are office, administration and store managers.

Most sales staff are PT this is the same in most countries and most retail chains.

Example 70% of Starbucks workers are students or trying to get an education.

USA retail giant Walmart barely has 50% of its workers as full time employees.with and average salary of $31,000 a year.

So Uniqlo doesn't seem so bad

Antiquesaving -

Not unusual for retail store businesses.

The majority of FT are office, administration and store managers.

Most sales staff are PT this is the same in most countries and most retail chains.

Example 70% of Starbucks workers are students or trying to get an education.

USA retail giant Walmart barely has 50% of its workers as full time employees.with and average salary of $31,000 a year.

So Uniqlo doesn't seem so bad

No. It all seems bad.

To paraphrase the old expression...1000 wrongs don't make a right.

ZorotoToday  06:27 pm JST

So ¥600,000 a month starting is ¥ 7.2 million a year, that would be amazing.

It's actually around 8 million+. Unfortunately I can't name the company, but I think it's possible to guess it

It's still half of what we pay to a new grad in the US.

Probably large securities company like Goldman Sachs.

Anyway certainly in the financial sector. Salaries in private equity and hedge funds sector for new graduate are even higher than that.

WOW if the average salary is around ¥325,000 per month, I wonder how do the people survive.

The average salary in Tokyo in 2021 is around ¥325,000 per month

It's something, I would lean on the side of the increase is real rather pure PR as the workers themselves can see how they measure up to the figures announced. Though no brainer it's not 40%. Lest not forget raises can't be taken away in down times and in today's climate things can be unpredictable.

wallaceJan. 11  06:01 pm JST

The average salary in Tokyo in 2021 is around ¥325,000 per month

No, it is about JPY450,000 per month.

@painkiller

Well said, it’s a little higher under my understanding but obviously previous post was way off.

JennieToday  01:41 am JST

@painkiller

Well said, it’s a little higher under my understanding but obviously previous post was way off.

Thank you Jennie.

Japan overall is at about JPY360,000.

Excellent, well done Uniqlo, I hope more companies follow the trend..

Hard blow for the anti-J whiners..

Buy Uniqlo!!..

GO JAPAN!!..

I am amazed at how many of you experts don't really seem to know much about how things work in Japan. Sure, the monthly salary is now raised to Y300,000, plus they will receive two bonuses one in the summer and one in winter depending on the company of two to four times their monthly salary. So let's say a new graduate starts, their base pay is Y300,000 X 12, Y3,600,000 + another conservative estimate 4x 300,000, add another Y1,200,000, so in total they are earning Y4,800,000. Not bad for young person starting out. And as I said, their bonuses could be higher than that.

They are making more than many full-time ESL teachers in this country. That is why I will not work full-time for no one school and love my part-time positions which pay more than a contract teacher in this country.