Wages

Fast Retailing's moves underscore a broader shift toward higher salaries in corporate Japan as labour shortages intensify and inflation remains stubbornly high.

Uniqlo’s owner boosts new graduate pay as Japan faces inflation

UNIQLO owner Fast Retailing will raise base salaries for new graduates in Japan by as much as 12 per cent, stepping up efforts to secure and retain talent as the country’s workers grapple with inflati...

Adzuna said advertised salaries rose by 7.7 per cent from a year earlier with big increases in IT and only two sectors showing a fall in pay, compared with 7.3 per cent a month previously.

UK job vacancies slide in November but pay growth accelerates, Adzuna says

[LONDON] Britain’s labour market deteriorated further last month as advertised job vacancies fell sharply but salaries rose, job search website Adzuna said on Monday, underscoring the dilemma facing t...

The average provincial minimum wage rise this year was 6.5 per cent, with the average minimum wage at about 3.3 million rupiah (S$256), ministry data shows.

Indonesian employers group says proposed minimum wage rise is too high

Provincial governors have until Dec 24 to set next year’s wage increase for their region

About 65 per cent of the latest pay settlements were lower than their equivalent in 2024.

UK employers plan 3% pay rises for 2026, Brightmine says

[LONDON] British employers plan to offer staff pay settlements averaging 3 per cent next year, in line with the most recent agreements, after a temporary increase in the three months to October due to...

Wages and salaries, which account for the bulk of labour costs, rose 0.8 per cent last quarter after increasing 1.0 per cent in the April-June quarter.

Growth in US labour costs slows in Q3

The Employment Cost Index rose 0.8% in the last quarter,

The inflation rate used to calculate the headline real wage indicator includes fresh food prices but not rent costs and it tends to be higher than the core rate.

Japan’s October real wages fall for 10th month despite upbeat nominal pay

The country’s biggest union group Rengo, of which JCM is a member, is targeting at least a 5% increase in overall pay next year

This year's calendar has been full of government largesse, boosted not least by the SG60 celebrations.
THINKING ALOUD

After the leeway provided in 2025, will 2026 be the time to tighten belts?

Government goodies and low inflation helped to support spending power this year. Next year does not promise the same