Summer bonuses at major Japanese companies this year topped ?1 million for the first time since comparable data became available in 1981, a survey by the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, showed Thursday.
The weighted average amount of summer bonuses rose 1.88% from a year before to ?1,008,706, thanks to robust corporate earnings and base salary hikes.
The initial tally from the country¡¯s biggest group of employers covered 112 companies in 19 industries. The average increased year on year for the fifth straight year.
The bonus data confirmed that the strong pay hike momentum remains in place, a Keidanren official said.
Bonuses among 99 manufacturers averaged ?1,060,434, up 1.63%, and those among 13 nonmanufacturers ?864,712, up 4.01%.
Fourteen industries posted rises. Of them, metal and nonferrous metal producers saw their average bonus soar 18.01% to ?1,125,131, due to strong earnings backed by growing demand for products related to data centers. The average rose 10.33% at food-makers and 9.64% at shipbuilders.
Meanwhile, bonuses fell in five industries, including the automobile sector, which saw the average bonus drop 8.97% to ?997,155 owing to sluggish earnings at some firms.
The average dropped 3.81% at steelmakers and 2.75% at the commerce sector including department store operators.
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