Results of the National Tax Agency’s Survey on Private-Sector Wages in 2021
According to the results of a survey of private-sector wages released by the National Tax Agency in September, the number of private-sector wage earners employed throughout the whole of 2021 was 52.7 million, up 0.5% from the previous year. By gender, the number of men was 30.6 million, down 0.5%, and the number of women was 22.09 million, up 1.9%.
Their average annual wage was 4.43 million yen, up 2.4% year-on-year. This was the first annual increase in three years. The average annual wage for men was 5.45 million yen, up 2.5%, and for women, 3.02 million yen, up 3.2%.
By regular and nonregular status, the average annual wage was 5.08 million yen for regular workers, up 2.6% over the previous year, and 1.98 million yen for nonregular workers, up 12.1%. By gender, for regular workers, the average annual wage was 5.70 million yen for men, up 3.6%, and 3.89 million yen for women, up 1.4%; for nonregular workers, it was 2.67 million yen for men, up 17.2%, and 1.62 million yen for women, up 5.9%.
The total number of regular wage earners was 35.88 million, up 3.0% over the previous year. By gender, there were 23.68 million men, up 1.0%, and 12.20 million women, up 7.2%, so the ratio of women stood at 34.0%, up 1.3%. The total number of nonregular wage earners was 12.71 million, up 5.7%. By gender, there were 4.29 million men, up 15.3%, and 8.43 million women, up 1.4%, so the ratio of women among nonregular workers was much higher at 66.2%, down 3%.
The survey therefore revealed that many women are still employed as nonregular workers at low wage levels.
| Men (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
Women (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
Total (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
|
| 2014 | 5,144 | 0.6 | 2,722 | 0.3 | 4,150 | 0.3 |
| 2015 | 5,205 | 1.2 | 2,760 | 1.4 | 4,204 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 5,211 | 0.1 | 2,797 | 1.3 | 4,216 | 0.3 |
| 2017 | 5,315 | 2.0 | 2,870 | 2.6 | 4,322 | 2.5 |
| 2018 | 5,450 | 2.5 | 2,931 | 2.1 | 4,407 | 2.0 |
| 2019 | 5,397 | -1.0 | 2,955 | 0.8 | 4,364 | -1.0 |
| 2020 | 5,322 | -1.4 | 2,926 | -1.0 | 4,331 | -0.8 |
| 2021 | 5,453 | 2.5 | 3,020 | 3.2 | 4,433 | 2.4 |
| Men (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
Women (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
Total (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
|
| 2014 | 5,323 | 1.1 | 3,593 | 0.9 | 4,777 | 1.0 |
| 2015 | 5,385 | 1.2 | 3,672 | 2.2 | 4,849 | 1.5 |
| 2016 | 5,397 | 0.2 | 3,733 | 1.7 | 4,869 | 0.4 |
| 2017 | 5,475 | 1.4 | 3,766 | 0.9 | 4,937 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | 5,599 | 2.3 | 3,860 | 2.5 | 5,035 | 2.0 |
| 2019 | 5,614 | 0.3 | 3,889 | 0.8 | 5,034 | 0.0 |
| 2020 | 5,501 | -2.0 | 3,837 | 1.3 | 4,957 | -1.5 |
| 2021 | 5,699 | 3.6 | 3,889 | 1.4 | 5,084 | 2.6 |
| Men (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
Women (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
Total (1,000 yen) |
Year-on-year change (%) |
|
| 2014 | 2,220 | -1.1 | 1,475 | 2.9 | 1,697 | 1.1 |
| 2015 | 2,258 | 1.7 | 1,472 | -0.2 | 1,705 | 0.5 |
| 2016 | 2,278 | 0.9 | 1,481 | 0.6 | 1,721 | 0.9 |
| 2017 | 2,294 | 0.7 | 1,508 | 1.8 | 1,751 | 1.7 |
| 2018 | 2,360 | 2.9 | 1,541 | 2.2 | 1,790 | 2.2 |
| 2019 | 2,256 | -4.4 | 1,522 | -1.2 | 1,746 | -2.5 |
| 2020 | 2,276 | 0.9 | 1,532 | 0.7 | 1,762 | 0.9 |
| 2021 | 2,668 | 17.2 | 1,623 | 5.9 | 1,976 | 12.1 |
Source: Compiled from “Results of Survey on Private-Sector Wages,” National Tax Agency.