Economy Most nonpermanent workers struggling, 80% without pay rises

The survey also collected answers from people who do not belong to a labour union. Of them, 40.8% were part-time workers, 24.9% were dispatch workers, 17.6% were contract workers, and 16.8% had a different employment status. Of the respondents, 65.5% were female, and 30.4% were male. Those working in the service industry were the largest group, and more than half of the respondents reported hourly pay of 1,200 yen (about $9) or below. When asked whether they have difficulty making ends meet amid price hikes, 40.4% said, "It has gotten very tough," while 48.3% said, "It has gotten somewhat tough," showing that nearly 90% have been affected by price increases. To the question, "Do you need a wage rise?" 87% said, "Yes, very much," while 10.1% said, "Yes, somewhat," showing irregular workers are desperate. Respondents were also asked whether their pay had been raised or whether they had been informed of a planned wage increase since January this year. In response, 79.5% said neither had happened, while 4.3% said their pay was increased, and 4.9% said they were told it would be increased, falling short of 10%. There were no differences between the wage increase situation at major and mid- and small-size firms.

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