The average hourly rate offered over four prefectures within the Kanto region exceeds 1,000 yen
The average hourly pay rate for part time workers in December 2016 over four prefectures within the Kanto region (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba) was at 1,020 yen, and for all of eastern Japan 1,000 yen (using AiDEM’s aggregate results).
By employment type, while ‘Specialist & Technical positions’ were at 1,203 yen, a fall of 88 yen compared to the same month for the previous year, ‘Office administration positions’, ‘Sales positions’, ‘Food service industry positions’, ‘Logistics, Telecommunications & Security positions’ , and ‘Manufacturing, Construction & Laboring positions’ all increased by between 7 to 68 yen.
The growth rate was highest for ‘Logistics, Telecommunications & Security positions’, reaching 1,057 yen, an increase of 68 yen compared to the same month for the previous year, and ‘Food service industry positions’, reaching 924 yen, an increase of 12 yen.
The growth in average hourly pay rates for western Japan exceeds that of eastern Japan
The average pay rate in three of the prefectures within the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo) was at 990 yen, an increase of 9 yen compared to the same month for the previous year, and for all of western Japan was at 969 yen, an increase of 16 yen, both exceeding the 2 yen increase seen in four of the Kanto prefectures, and the 8 yen fall seen in all of eastern Japan.
By employment type, similar to eastern Japan, ‘Specialist & Technical positions’ were at 1,267 yen, a fall of 27 yen compared to the same month for the previous year, while all other positions saw a rise of between 9 to 44 yen.
The growth rate was highest for ‘Sales positions’, which reached 893 yen, an increase of 44 yen compared to the same month for the previous year, followed by ‘Manufacturing, Construction & Laboring positions’, up 37 yen to 927 yen. Here the results differ from eastern Japan.
Overall the trend is positive, but some areas see a fall of 100 yen or more
Looking at the aggregate results, we can see the changes over 48 months from January 2012. Overall a positive trend continues, eastern Japan went from 970 yen to 1,000 yen, and western Japan went from 919 yen to 969 yen over that period.
However, for ‘Specialist & Technical positions’, year-on-year figures for Tokyo’s metropolitan wards and Kanagawa prefecture show a fall of 107 yen, and Kyoto prefecture a fall of 200 yen. Apart from an increase of 108 yen in Hyogo prefecture, everywhere else saw a fall.
These ‘Specialist & Technical positions’ include nurses/associate nurses, nursing assistants, pharmacists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, care workers, nursing care helpers, and childcare professionals.
There is a fear that the shortage of workers in these key services will be exacerbated by the lowering pay rates.
