As Japan’s major corporations gear up to implement some of the most substantial pay hikes in decades, the experience of Ikuko Sakata, owner of a small trucking firm, paints a starkly different picture.
Despite operating in one of the country’s tightest labour markets with sustained demand, small delivery companies like Sakata’s find themselves barely staying afloat financially.
Sakata’s Tokyo-based company, with approximately 80 employees, can only afford to pay the minimum wage, amounting to around 280,000 yen ($1,900) per month before overtime.
This scenario highlights the significant disparity between the lavish wage increases anticipated at major corporations like Toyota Motor and Nippon Steel and the financial constraints faced by smaller enterprises like Sakata’s.
Challenges to Wage Normalization and Monetary Policy
Sakata’s predicament raises questions about the timing of Japan’s central bank to normalize monetary policy, particularly amidst calls for sustainable wage increases as a prerequisite for ending negative interest rates.
While most economists anticipate the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates for the first time in 17 years, the stark difference in wage dynamics between large and small firms adds complexity to this decision.
Hopes for Trickle-Down Effect and Challenges Ahead
The Japanese government pins hopes on wage increases at major corporations to trickle down to smaller and medium-sized enterprises, which constitute a significant portion of the country’s workforce.
However, the reality for many small delivery companies remains challenging, with a Japan Chamber of Commerce survey indicating that only 57% are planning wage hikes in the upcoming fiscal year.
This disparity underscores the unique strains faced by small businesses, particularly in industries like freight, where weak bargaining power prevails due to the proliferation of players.
Sector-Specific Challenges and Economic Outlook
Experts attribute some of the challenges in the freight industry to the wave of deregulation in the 1990s, which led to the proliferation of small companies with limited bargaining power.
This situation underscores the complexities within Japan’s labour market and the need for nuanced policy interventions to address the disparities between large corporations and small businesses, particularly in industries marked by intense competition and regulatory changes.
