July 29, 2023

The Labor Ministry’s Central Council on Minimum Wages on July 28 adopted its recommendation that the national average minimum wage this year be increased by 41 yen (4.3%) per hour to 1,002 yen from the current 961 yen. However, the recommendation allows a further widening of the regional minimum wage gap from the current 219 yen to 221 yen and does not deal with the cost of living crisis.

In Japan, the minimum wage is set separately for each prefecture by the Regional Council on Minimum Wage based on the Central Council’s recommendation.

In the recommendation, the government panel proposed a 41-yen hike for six prefectures including Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi; a 40-yen hike for 28 prefectures including Hokkaido, Hyogo, and Fukuoka; and a 39-yen for the remaining 13 prefectures, such as Kochi, Aomori, and Okinawa. The number of prefectures whose minimum wage exceeds 1,000 yen totals only eight, including Tokyo.

Commenting on the central council’s proposal, National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) Secretary General Kurosawa Koichi said, “The council made a proposal which further widens regional minimum wage gaps. It is totally unacceptable.” He stressed that the government should work to eliminate the regional wage gap without delay and increase minimum hourly wages to at least 1,500 yen nationwide.

Past related article:
> Zenroren: Gov’t-proposed minimum hourly wage hike to 1,000 yen insufficient to cope with rising prices [July 1, 2023]