ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Economy

Labor crunch sends Japan restaurant pay to record high

With nightlife back on, the scramble for kitchen staff and servers heats up

A Vietnamese trainee works at a Tokyo restaurant. Japan's eased entry restrictions are expected to take several months to benefit the labor market. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki)

TOKYO -- Japan's economic reopening has driven restaurants offering new part-time hires the most generous wages on record, as the latest industry figures show.

Part-time food service workers in the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya areas earned an average of 1,050 yen ($9.21) an hour in October, staffing group Recruit Holdings reported Monday. The number is up 2.4% from a year earlier, besting the pre-COVID high recorded in November 2019.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Discover the all new Nikkei Asia app

  • Take your reading anywhere with offline reading functions
  • Never miss a story with breaking news alerts
  • Customize your reading experience

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more