Figures of the revised minimum wages per prefecture have been collected across the country. Standards for the current fiscal year were expected to be an increase by \63 for the A and B rank groups and by \64 for the C rank ones. However, due to the price hikes and labor shortage, many of the regions have reported much higher numerical data, and thus, for the first time, the minimum wages have surpassed in all of the prefectures a level \1,000 per hour.
NATIONWIDE UNIFORMED MINIMUM WAGE SYSTEM IS NECESSARY TO FLAT DISCREPANCIES
Various actions have been staged
One of the reasons for the good results comes from the diverse kinds of actions staged throughout the country on the prefectural levels, including meetings and events where single mothers and foreign trainees expressed their candid views or they took part in as observers. Central organizations have led campaigns for the minimum wage.
Thus, the forecasted figures surpassed in the 39 prefectures; the average minimum wage recorded as \1,121, the highest in the history, an increase by \66 from the recent \1,055. But, taking the today’s price surges into consideration, even the higher records do not meet satisfactorily: a total annual income counts \2.20 million if a worker is employed on the full-time basis.
The government sets a target of a nationwide average \1,500 per hour in the decade of 2020. It will be necessary to raise by 7.3% at times of revision during the fiscals from 2025 to 2029. The ratio for the fiscal 2025 was 6.3%. In order to attain to the official target, further increases are needed from the fiscal 2026.
Effective dates are postponed
A good increase was made. On the other hand, however, dates are set later when the decisions become effective. Usually, the revised wages are paid from October, but this year, from November in the 27 prefectures. Another six prefectures, including Akita, Gunma, and Tokushima, the initial months are set in the coming year.
Prefecture Tochigi, which will start to implement the step October 1, the earliest, while Prefecture Akita, the latest, in March 31, 2026, a difference of which is almost half a year. Gaps from one region to another have expanded for these months from \212 to \275, with a yearly entire difference counting over \280 thousand.
There lies intention from the management side behind the postponement of payment dates. The Keidanren, the Japan Business Federation, declared during the Spring Labor Offensive to put off effective dates of revised minimum wage payment through their report, the Special Committee Report on Policies for Management and Labor. Meanwhile, the Ishiba government announced the Basic Policies on Fiscal Management and Reform, in which small-and-medium sized business entities will be officially encouraged. The employers’ side supervised the administration not to carry out the official policies, using it as an excuse.
Concerning dates when new wages go into effect, the provision of the Article 14-2 of the Minimum Wage Act stipulates a rule that payment will be made after 30 days from the date of declaration of the renewed wage. Because a purpose is that the wage hike won during the Spring Offensive can be sooner impacted on casual workers. Usually, prefectural offices advise to start in October. A life is hard today. The effective date should be set earlier and in a uniformed system.
Official support is necessary to small-and-medium sized businesses
According to the announcement from the Ministry of Finance, the operating profit of this fiscal of all the industries has grown by 7.5%, reaching 114 trillion and 728.8 billion yen. A total sum of internal reserves, in which firms pile up their profits, reached to 637 trillion and 531.6 billion yen as of the end of last year, the highest record, showing the biggest for 13 years consecutively.
The minimum wage \1,500 must be achieved as soon as possible. Another official plan should be needed to help smaller-and-medium sized business entities, such as charging tax on the internal reserves of big businesses. It will help them alleviate their obligations for social insurance outlays.
One more policy for the government to add is to create urgently a uniformed nationwide system of minimum wage. It will flat pay gaps from one prefecture to another and discrepancies of effective dates.
最賃改定額が出そろった。今年度の「目安」はＡ・Ｂランク63円、Ｃランク64円だったが、物価高や人手不足のため目安を大幅に上回る答申が続出し、全都道府県で初めて１０００円を超えた。
多様な取組みで
中央での最賃アクションをはじめ、各県段階ではシングルマザーや技能実習生などの意見陳述や傍聴行動など多様な取組みが大幅引上げの一翼を担った。
その結果、国の示した目安を超えたのは39道府県、全国平均は現在の１０５５円から66円増え過去最高の１１２１円となった。しかし、物価高に負けない水準とは言い難く、フルタイムで働いても年収は２２０万円程度にとどまる。
政府は、２０２０年代に全国平均１５００円とする目標を掲げるが、25～29年度改定で毎回７・３％のアップが必要になる。25年度の引上げ率は６・３％で、政府目標の達成には26年度以降、一層の引上げが必要だ。
発効日の引延し
大幅引上げの一方で、改定発効時期の遅らせが相次いだ。例年は10月中の発効が一般的だが、今年は27府県が11月以降を予定し、秋田、群馬、徳島など６県は越年する。
最も早い栃木（10月１日）と、最も遅い秋田（26年３月31日）では、約半年の開きがある。この間の地域間格差は２１２円から２７５円に拡大し、28万円以上の収入格差になる。
発効日引延しには財界の意向がある。経団連は、春闘方針「経営労働政策特別委員会報告」で最賃改定の発効を遅らせるよう主張。また、石破政権が「骨太の方針」でアピールした中小企業支援拡充を具体化しないことが、使用者側の口実となっている。
最賃改定の発効日は、最賃法14条２の規定で春闘の賃上げを非正規労働者に早く波及させるため、原則は改定額を公示して30日後だ。例年は10月に各地で順次発効する。生活が厳しい労働者のためにも、発効日は早期一律実施すべきだ。
中小企業支援を
財務省発表によると全産業の経常利益は前年度より７・５％増え１１４兆７２８８億円。企業がため込む利益の合計「内部留保」は24年度末時点で６３７兆５３１６億円となり、13年連続過去最高を更新した。
速やかな１５００円以上の実現へ、今ある支援の他、大企業の内部留保課税で中小企業の社会保険料の事業主負担軽減をすべきだ。また、地域間格差と発効日のばらつきを解消するため全国一律制度の確立が急がれる。
英訳版↓
No. 1419 Minimum Wage Should Exceed \1,000
Figures of the revised minimum wages per prefecture have been collected across the country. Standards for the current fiscal year were expected to be an increase by \63 for the A and B rank groups and by \64 for the C rank ones. However, due to the price hikes and labor shortage, many of the regions have reported much higher numerical data, and thus, for the first time, the minimum wages have surpassed in all of the prefectures a level \1,000 per hour.
NATIONWIDE UNIFORMED MINIMUM WAGE SYSTEM IS NECESSARY TO FLAT DISCREPANCIES
Various actions have been staged
One of the reasons for the good results comes from the diverse kinds of actions staged throughout the country on the prefectural levels, including meetings and events where single mothers and foreign trainees expressed their candid views or they took part in as observers. Central organizations have led campaigns for the minimum wage.
Thus, the forecasted figures surpassed in the 39 prefectures; the average minimum wage recorded as \1,121, the highest in the history, an increase by \66 from the recent \1,055. But, taking the today’s price surges into consideration, even the higher records do not meet satisfactorily: a total annual income counts \2.20 million if a worker is employed on the full-time basis.
The government sets a target of a nationwide average \1,500 per hour in the decade of 2020. It will be necessary to raise by 7.3% at times of revision during the fiscals from 2025 to 2029. The ratio for the fiscal 2025 was 6.3%. In order to attain to the official target, further increases are needed from the fiscal 2026.
Effective dates are postponed
A good increase was made. On the other hand, however, dates are set later when the decisions become effective. Usually, the revised wages are paid from October, but this year, from November in the 27 prefectures. Another six prefectures, including Akita, Gunma, and Tokushima, the initial months are set in the coming year.
Prefecture Tochigi, which will start to implement the step October 1, the earliest, while Prefecture Akita, the latest, in March 31, 2026, a difference of which is almost half a year. Gaps from one region to another have expanded for these months from \212 to \275, with a yearly entire difference counting over \280 thousand.
There lies intention from the management side behind the postponement of payment dates. The Keidanren, the Japan Business Federation, declared during the Spring Labor Offensive to put off effective dates of revised minimum wage payment through their report, the Special Committee Report on Policies for Management and Labor. Meanwhile, the Ishiba government announced the Basic Policies on Fiscal Management and Reform, in which small-and-medium sized business entities will be officially encouraged. The employers’ side supervised the administration not to carry out the official policies, using it as an excuse.
Concerning dates when new wages go into effect, the provision of the Article 14-2 of the Minimum Wage Act stipulates a rule that payment will be made after 30 days from the date of declaration of the renewed wage. Because a purpose is that the wage hike won during the Spring Offensive can be sooner impacted on casual workers. Usually, prefectural offices advise to start in October. A life is hard today. The effective date should be set earlier and in a uniformed system.
Official support is necessary to small-and-medium sized businesses
According to the announcement from the Ministry of Finance, the operating profit of this fiscal of all the industries has grown by 7.5%, reaching 114 trillion and 728.8 billion yen. A total sum of internal reserves, in which firms pile up their profits, reached to 637 trillion and 531.6 billion yen as of the end of last year, the highest record, showing the biggest for 13 years consecutively.
The minimum wage \1,500 must be achieved as soon as possible. Another official plan should be needed to help smaller-and-medium sized business entities, such as charging tax on the internal reserves of big businesses. It will help them alleviate their obligations for social insurance outlays.
One more policy for the government to add is to create urgently a uniformed nationwide system of minimum wage. It will flat pay gaps from one prefecture to another and discrepancies of effective dates.
September 17, 2025