Summer wage supplements at prominent Japanese corporations reach nearly a million yen on average
**Record-Breaking Summer Bonuses in Japan's Major Industries**
The summer bonus season in Japan has seen a significant increase across various major industries, with the average bonus reaching an all-time high since 1981, according to a survey conducted by Keidanren. The average summer bonus for 2025 stands at ¥990,848, marking a 4.37% increase from the previous year.
### Key Industries with Notable Rises
The chemicals industry registered the most substantial increase, with a 29.0% rise, bringing the average bonus to approximately ¥1,050,414. Nonferrous metals also saw double-digit growth, with an average bonus of ¥909,071. The shipbuilding sector experienced a significant increase, with bonuses averaging around ¥1,184,644. The manufacturing sector as a whole posted a rise, surpassing ¥1 million for the first time, with an average bonus of ¥1,035,889.
Non-manufacturing sectors, including services, construction, and railroads, also saw a rise of 6.72% to about ¥917,909, with notable contributions from the construction and eating-out sectors.
### Declining Industries
Despite the overall positive trend, five industries experienced a decrease in bonuses. These include the paper and pulp, iron and steel, automobiles, transportation, and information and telecommunications industries.
### Smaller Companies and Public Servants
Bonuses at smaller and medium-sized companies (less than 300 employees) averaged lower at ¥754,044, with a smaller increase of 4.15%. Public servants, on the other hand, received an average summer bonus of about ¥706,700, which rose by 7.2% from the previous year, surpassing many private sectors. This increase is linked to legal salary adjustments and private sector wage growth.
In conclusion, the 2025 summer bonus trend in Japan highlights strong wage growth, especially in manufacturing and certain key industries like chemicals and shipbuilding, despite declines in some traditional industries such as automobiles and telecommunications. This reflects ongoing pressures from high company performance and inflation-driven wage demands. The final results of the survey will be announced in early August.
- Despite the overall increase in summer bonuses, some industries such as the information and telecommunications sector, as well as the transportation and automobile industries, experienced a decrease in their bonuses.
- The manufacturing sector, specifically the chemicals and shipbuilding industries, registered notable rises with the average bonus in the chemicals industry reaching approximately ¥1,050,414, a 29.0% increase from the previous year.
