Tokyo: Japan’s National Personnel Authority plans to recommend raising monthly salaries for national public servants by nearly 1 percent in 2023, or over 3,000 yen on average, Jiji Press learned Tuesday.

The government agency also expects to recommend raising annual bonuses for national public servants by 0.10 to 0.15 month from the previous year to 4.50 to 4.55 months of salary.

The authority has found that private-sector salaries are likely to be higher than those of public servants on the back of rising prices and the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both monthly salaries and bonuses for national public servants are expected to go up for the second straight year. This year’s recommendations are likely to be made on Monday.

Based on its survey of private-sector salaries, the authority makes bonus and salary recommendations to the Diet, the country’s parliament, and the cabinet every year to narrow wage gaps between the public and private sectors.

Last year, the authority recommended raising monthly salaries by 0.23 pct, or 921 yen, and bonuses by 0.10 month to 4.40 months of salary.

This year, the authority surveyed about 11,900 businesses with 50 employees or more, checking salaries paid in April and bonuses provided between August last year and July this year.

JIJI Press