Summer Bonuses Reach 10 Million Won This Year... Rise Follows Salary Increases

Up 4.37% from Last Year

This year, Japanese employees at large corporations are receiving summer bonuses averaging around 10 million won.

According to NHK and other Japanese media on July 3, the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) announced in its first survey of this year's summer bonuses that the average bonus at 107 large companies across 18 industries, each with more than 500 employees, is 990,848 yen (approximately 9.32 million won) per person. This represents a 4.37% increase compared to last year.

The amount of bonuses has increased for four consecutive years and is at its highest level since the survey began in 1981.

By industry, bonuses increased in 13 out of 18 sectors. The industries with the highest rates of increase were chemicals (28.99%) and shipbuilding (11.01%). In contrast, bonuses decreased in five sectors, including steel and automobiles.

Keidanren cited two main reasons for the increase in bonuses: first, the rise in monthly salaries, which serve as the basis for calculating bonuses; and second, strong business performance, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Previously, Rengo, Japan's largest labor union, announced an agreement to raise wages by an average of 5.25% this year, marking a wage increase in the 5% range for the second consecutive year.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Jo Yongjun.

Shinta Hideshi, head of Keidanren's Labor Policy Bureau, stated, "We can see that the trend of wage increases is also reflected in bonuses, and we are feeling the results." He added, "Although the future remains uncertain due to U.S. tariff measures, we will continue to push for wage increases." The final results are scheduled to be announced in early August.