Nov 27 (NHK) - Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has urged businesses to raise wages by 3 percent or more at their annual labor talks next spring.
Kishida met with government officials and business leaders on Friday to discuss measures that would achieve wage hikes. He said he hopes to see maximum wage increases based on a company's ability to pay.
The prime minister said he expects firms whose performance has recovered to pre-coronavirus levels to raise wages by more than 3 percent.
His administration has already decided to urge nursery schools to raise salaries by around that amount.
Kishida has said his government will do whatever it can to help businesses increase pay.
He indicated plans to offer tax deductions to companies that offer bigger paychecks. Smaller businesses that increase wages despite posting losses will be eligible for increased subsidies.
