Results of the 2nd 'Survey on Wage Increases' Announced: Lack of Real Impact Despite 'Wage Hike Mood' / Only 5% Match Shunto Levels

Riskmonster, a provider of credit management cloud services for corporate members, has released the results of its 2nd 'Survey on Wage Increases.'

Survey Background Amid rising costs for raw materials and energy, a weakening yen, and increasing personnel expenses, inflation continues. To clarify whether workers' salary growth is keeping pace with inflation, a survey was conducted among 800 men and women in their 20s to 50s nationwide.

Survey Summary 1. For about 70% of workers, salary in the past year 'remained unchanged.' Only 15.4% reported that their salary increased by 3% or more over the last year, while 73.0% reported no change.

2. Wage hikes matching Shunto levels are only around 5% in reality. Wage increases equal to or higher than the 2026 Shunto average (5.05%) were found in only about 5% of all cases, highlighting a gap between the wage hike sentiment and reality.

3. 'Response to inflation' is the top reason for wage hikes. While 'response to inflation' was the most frequent reason given for wage increases, large enterprises reported 'performance-linked' reasons more often, indicating differences based on company size.

Survey Results 1. About 70% reported 'no change,' and 10% reported a 'decrease.' 15.4% reported a salary increase of 3% or more, while 73.0% saw no change. The rate of increase was lower among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and general employees, showing gaps across company size and roles.

2. Reasons for wage hikes: 'Performance-linked' in large firms; 'Inflation response' for SMEs and public servants. Over half of those who received raises underwent 'base pay revisions.' While large firms prioritize 'performance-linked' raises, SMEs and public servants focus mainly on 'inflation response.'