Average overtime pay in Japan in 2020 fell 12.1 percent from the previous year, the sharpest drop in 11 years, as the coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to cut their operating hours, government data showed Tuesday.
The average stood at 17,352 yen ($165) per month, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said in a preliminary report that covered workplaces with at least five workers. The pace of decline was the fastest since 2009 when the global financial crisis and economic downturn caused a slide of 13.5 percent.
By sector, the average plunged 33.5 percent among livelihood services such as hair salons as well as the entertainment industry. Restaurant and hotel operators marked a 27.3 percent fall while manufacturers saw a 19.5 percent drop.
Monthly overtime hours of all workers fell 13.2 percent on average for 2020, also the biggest decline since a 15.0 percent decline in 2009.
The average total cash earnings per worker, including base and overtime pay, fell 1.2 percent last year to 318,299 yen on a nominal basis for the second straight year of decline.
The survey also showed that part-timers made up 31.14 percent of the country's workforce last year, down 0.39 point from 2019 and the first decrease since the survey began in 1990, as the pandemic seriously damaged the service sectors, which employ many nonregular workers.
