The largest increase in 20 years!Japan increases the lowest hourly salary

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] After difficult negotiations, on August 1, a group committee of the Minimum Wage Council of the Central Committee of Japan reached a unification of the minimum wage standard. Yuan). Kyodo Society said this was the biggest increase since 2002. The new standard will be implemented around October this year.

Japan's "Daily News" reported on the 1st that the minimum wage is the minimum hourly salary suitable for all workers. At present, the average minimum hourly salary in Japan is 930 yen. Previously, Japanese small and medium -sized business owners had a strong resistance to raising their minimum wages because these companies were affected during the new crown pneumonia. Since February of this year, the weak yen and the Russian -Ukraine conflict have caused Japanese prices to soar. In particular, the rise in energy and food prices has put tremendous pressure on many families. Corporate owners who have been reluctant to greatly increase their minimum salary have finally made compromises. Kyodo News reported on the 1st that although labor and enterprise representatives were consistent with the necessity of increasing wages, they were arguing on the issue of gain. In the context of high living costs, labor representatives require a significant increase in wages; corporate representatives who struggle struggling in the rise are increasingly growing.

Kyodo Society said that although Japan's minimum wages have increased in recent years, the growth rate has been "tepid". According to the "Daily News", although the lowest salary of Japan in 2021 reached 930 yen, it was still dwarfed compared to Europe and the United States. The editorial of "Japan Economic News" mentioned that the minimum wage in Japan was only 6 to 70 % of major European countries. In addition, the gap between Japan's minimum wages and other developed countries is also increasing. According to statistics from the Organization Organization, Japan's actual minimum annual salary level was overtaken by South Korea in 2015, and then the gap became bigger and bigger. In 2020, Japan's actual minimum annual salary level ranked 14th among the OECD, and the gap with South Korea was widened to about $ 5,500.

For the increase in the minimum hourly salary, Japanese society also shows different attitudes. Many ordinary workers welcomes the minimum hourly salary. Suzuki, who was working in a publishing house in Tokyo, said in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun on the 1st on the 1st that he was expected to income more than 60,000 yen per month after increasing the minimum wage. Many small and medium -sized enterprises show concerns. The person in charge of a dessert company said in an interview with "Tokyo News" that "there is insufficient manpower, and it is difficult to hire people even if the minimum salary is raised." He also said, "In order to allow consumers to accept food price increases, it should indeed increase the lowest to the minimum increase. Salary, but now we operate the company as if we go to the steel wire. "Yamada, chief researcher of the Institute of Institute of Comprehensive Japan on the 2nd, pointed out in an interview with the Japanese current Affairs News Agency on the 2nd that the minimum salary" needs real support for small and medium -sized enterprises. "

"Japan Economic Shimbun" published an editorial calling on the government to accelerate the reform of the labor market. The editorial believes that salary increase will bring operating pressure on SMEs, which will affect the number of employment. Government support policies should focus on measures to promote business in new areas of enterprises. It should improve the business efficiency of enterprises and reform business structures, help enterprises improve profitability, and reduce dependence on low -paying labor.

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