The Japan Business Federation released its Report on the 2002 Survey of Summer/Winter Bonuses on May 30. The results of the survey showed a year-on-year decline in the amounts of both summer/winter bonuses. However, in a breakdown of the distributions of those payouts, the amounts were higher for performance evaluation-based payments, and the proportion of companies that use performance-oriented systems for determining total bonus amounts was nearly 30%, the highest ratio ever recorded by the survey. These and similar results reveal a rise in the trend toward emphasis on employee skills and achievements.
Looking at the average bonus payouts across all industries, union members received 691,735円 for the summer 2002 bonus (down 5.0% year-on-year), and 712,524円 for winter (down 4.5% y/y). Non-union employees in responsible positions took in 1,228,840円 for summer (down 5.6% y/y) and 1,247,899円 for winter (down 4.4% y/y).
In terms of the systems used to determine the total bonus amount, 30.2% of the companies indicated that they use a performance-based system. This was a rise from last year's 20.9% and represented the highest ratio for this category since the survey was started in 1987. Of the companies that gave this response, 79.8% stated that they base bonuses on their current profit, while 9.0% base them on production and sales volumes, and 4.5% base them on value added.