Business Apr 29, 2021
Summer bonuses at Japan firms to fall 1%-3% on year due to coronavirus
The decline in summer bonuses per employee, forecast by four think tanks and two security firms, follows a 2.6% fall in winter bonuses.
Business Apr 23, 2021
Suga's push to raise minimum wage faces uphill battle amid pandemic
by Tetsushi Kajimoto
There is stiff opposition to the plan from small and midsize firms worried about their survival, and from ruling party lawmakers fearing a political backlash.
Business / Economy Apr 20, 2021
Government seeks safety guarantee in Japan's digital wage payout plan
A plan for digital salary payments is being pushed by the government to help people avoid touching cash amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Business / Corporate Apr 20, 2021
SoftBank’s $120 million Norway deal taps value of high-cost labor
The Asian giant's investment model in the Nordics suggests a cheap workforce isn’t the competitive parameter it once was.
Commentary / World Mar 24, 2021
Who helps pay Amazon’s low-wage workers? Americans do.
by Nir Kaissar and Timothy L. O'Brien
Amazon can afford to lift its workers out of poverty, so why does it rely on taxpayers to fill in the blanks?
Business / Corporate Mar 22, 2021
Pay hikes average 1.81% in Japan's spring 2021 wage negotiations
The combined average increase in base wages and regular pay is the slowest since the Japanese government began urging companies to raise wages in 2014.
Business Mar 20, 2021
Members of Japan economic council to propose regional minimum wage hikes
In the proposal to be made Monday, the members will argue that wage hikes will boost people's motivation to work and that companies will see sales go up thanks to a higher headcount.
National Mar 17, 2021
Japan's welfare councils work to stymie loans for people in need
Loan applications have surged from around 10,000 to 1.7 million since the introduction of a special measure in response to COVID-19, according to the welfare ministry.
Business Mar 17, 2021
Corporate Japan offers lowest pay rises in eight years
by Tetsushi Kajimoto
The annual wage talks serve as a barometer of corporate strength and household purchasing power.
Business / Corporate Mar 17, 2021
JAL to let flight attendants choose fewer work hours with salary cuts
Hit hard by the pandemic, JAL has said its net loss for fiscal 2020 is expected to be ¥300 billion.
Business / Corporate Mar 16, 2021
Japan electronics industry unions to seek pay-scale hikes of ¥1,000 or more
Most major Japanese companies are scheduled to give their replies to demands from their unions on Wednesday.
Business | FYI Mar 5, 2021
Japan may soon allow wage payouts in digital cash. What will that look like?
by Kazuaki Nagata
The government is looking to introduce an option that will allow people to have their salaries transferred to smartphone virtual wallets.