Teikoku Databank (TDB) announced the results of its survey on trends in winter bonuses for 2025 on December 9th. 80.5% of companies plan to pay bonuses or lump-sum payments, and the "transportation and warehousing" sector topped the list of companies expecting an "increase" in winter bonuses at 33.6%.
<Percentage of companies that increased winter bonuses (by industry)>
The survey period was from November 14th to November 30th, 2025. The survey targeted 24,531 companies nationwide, with 10,207 valid responses (response rate of 41.6%).
Regarding winter bonuses (including bonuses, lump sums, and gratuities) in 2025, 22.7% of companies reported that they would pay bonuses and that the amount would increase (or had increased) on average per employee, a slight decrease from the previous year (23.0%).
13.2% of companies reported that they still offer bonuses, but that these have decreased, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from the previous year.
The percentage of companies that do not offer bonuses fell to 12.0%. The percentage of companies that offer bonuses, and that the rates remain unchanged, was 44.7%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from the previous year, indicating that the growth in bonuses was limited.
In the four sectors of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, finance, construction, and transportation and warehousing, the percentage of companies reporting increased winter bonuses rose for the second consecutive year.
While the "transportation and warehousing" sector is benefiting from the recovery of the automotive industry and the expansion of e-commerce demand, it continues to face difficulties in securing personnel. Comments included, "There is a chronic shortage of drivers, but the workload is not decreasing" (general freight trucking).
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