Winter Bonuses Average $8,000

Winter bonuses in Japan this year will average about Y851,502 ($8,000ish), up 0.86% from last year, but also the fifth year in a row the bonuses went up.

Last year, however, the bonuses went up 1.98%.

The mass retirement of baby boomers also lowered the average age of employees, thus reducing the size of overall payouts.

Nippon Steel Corp is the most generous. The average 39-year old employee gets

about $11,000.

Sony Corp, bonuses grew 11%.

Honda bonuses will drop 0.26% but will still give each worker the equivalent of three month's salary as a bonus.

Don't you wish you lived in Japan at bonus time?

source.