60% of Working Women Had No Pay Raise in the Past Year. The Most Common Reason for Not Negotiating Salary is 'Don't Think Salary Will Increase' / 'Woman's Job Change type' Survey of Working Women [Vol. 126]
A survey by 'Woman's Job Change type' revealed that 60% of working women did not receive a pay raise in the last year. The primary reason for not negotiating salary was a belief that it wouldn't lead to an increase. While about 20% have negotiated, nearly 70% of those saw a pay increase, suggesting negotiation can be effective despite widespread reluctance.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 14, 2026 at 11:32 (1h 0m after Collected)
Career Design Center Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and Chairman: Hiromi Tada) operates 'Woman's Job Change type,' a job change website specializing in job changes for women. This site conducted a survey on 'salary conditions' targeting 295 working women.
'Woman's Job Change type,' a job change website for women who want to work long-term as full-time employees, regularly conducts 'Women and Work: Insights from Data' surveys to investigate women's real work perspectives and disclose the actual state of women's working environments.
▼For more details, please see here:
https://woman-type.jp/academia/discover-career/data/vol-126/
■Excerpt from Survey Results
★No. 1 monthly take-home pay is 'less than 200,000 to 250,000 yen,' ideal is 'less than 250,000 to 300,000 yen'
★No. 1 reason for pay raise is 'salary base-up'
★No. 1 reason for no pay raise is 'no pay raise system'
★About 20% have experience negotiating salary, and about 70% of them received a pay increase
【Q.1 How much is your take-home pay?】
*Only for those currently employed
*Excluding part-time and temporary workers
When 'Woman's Job Change type' members were asked about their monthly take-home pay, the top answer was 'less than 200,000 to 250,000 yen' at 31.7%, followed by 'less than 150,000 to 200,000 yen' at 26.7%, and 'less than 250,000 to 300,000 yen' at 21.7%. Overall, a large proportion of respondents had a take-home pay around 200,000 yen.
【Q.2 Has your salary increased in the past year?】
*Only for those currently employed
*Excluding part-time and temporary workers
*Excluding those who joined their current company less than one year ago
When asked whether their take-home pay had increased in the past year, both 'yes, it increased' and 'no, it did not increase (no change)' were 43.6%. While nearly half of the people received a pay raise, 12.7% responded that their pay 'actually decreased,' meaning more than half did not receive a pay raise.
【Q.3 By how much did your monthly pay increase after the raise?】
*Only for those who received a pay raise
When those who answered 'yes, it increased' in Q.2 were asked about the increased monthly take-home pay, 'less than 4,000 yen' was the most common response at 33.3%. This was followed by 'less than 10,000 to 30,000 yen' at 25.0%, and 'less than 6,000 to 10,000 yen' at 18.8%. Although the amount of increase varied from a few thousand yen to tens of thousands of yen, approximately 60% of people received an increase of less than 10,000 yen.
【Q.4 What was the reason for the pay raise?】
*Only for those who received a pay raise
*Multiple answers allowed
The most common reason for a pay raise was 'salary base-up' at 39.6%, followed by 'regular pay raise' at 27.1%, and 'high individual performance or evaluation' at 22.9%. This indicates that pay raises are often due to systemic factors such as base-ups and regular raises, not just individual evaluations.
Other comments included 'changed from temporary employee to contract employee' and 'company received subsidies.'
【Q.5 What was the reason for not receiving a pay raise?】
*Only for those who did not receive a pay raise
*Multiple answers allowed
When those who answered 'no pay raise' in Q.2 were asked for the reason, the top answer was 'the company does not have a pay raise system in the first place' at 27.1%, followed by 'no change in scope of work or responsibility' at 22.9%, and 'no promotion or advancement' or 'poor company performance' at 20.8%. This suggests that many workplaces lack a pay raise system, and changes in roles and responsibilities are often conditions for a pay raise.
Additionally, 14.6% of respondents answered 'I don't know,' indicating that many workplaces do not sufficiently share their pay raise mechanisms and evaluation criteria.
Other comments included 'not yet subject to evaluation,' while some cited work-style restrictions such as 'on leave,' 'working full-remote with reduced hours,' or 'returned from childcare leave with reduced hours.'
【Q.6 What is your ideal monthly take-home pay?】
*Only for those currently employed
*Excluding part-time and temporary workers
When asked about their ideal monthly take-home pay, the most common response was 'less than 250,000 to 300,000 yen' at 37.5%. This was followed by 'less than 300,000 to 400,000 yen' at 33.3%. Since the actual take-home pay was most commonly 'less than 200,000 to 250,000 yen,' it can be inferred that many people desire a salary level approximately 50,000 to 100,000 yen higher than their current take-home pay.
【Q.7 Have you ever negotiated your salary?】
When asked if they had ever negotiated their salary (negotiating with a supervisor, etc., to increase salary), only 23.3% responded that they had. Combining 'never have, and don't plan to in the future' (40.8%) and 'never have, but would like to someday' (35.9%), 76.7% of people had never negotiated their salary. This shows that while a certain number of people are interested in salary negotiation, few actually take action.
【Q.8 As a result of salary negotiation, did your salary increase?】
*Only for those who have negotiated salary
When those who answered 'yes, I have negotiated salary' in Q.7 were asked about the outcome of the negotiation, 'did not reach my desired amount, but increased slightly' was the most common response at 50.9%. Combined with 'increased as desired or more' at 17.5%, 68.4% of people saw their salary increase, indicating that salary negotiation often leads to some positive outcome.
【Q.9 What are the reasons for not negotiating salary?】
*Only for those who have never negotiated salary
*Multiple answers allowed
When those who answered 'never negotiated salary' in Q.7 were asked for their reasons, only 4.3% responded 'satisfied/content with current salary,' indicating that the vast majority of people feel a gap between their ideals and reality but do not proceed with salary negotiation.
The most common reason was 'don't think salary will change even if I negotiate' at 43.1%. This was followed by 'don't know how to negotiate salary' at 35.1%, and 'don't want to worsen relations with my supervisor or company' at 29.8%. It seems that resignation ('negotiation won't lead to results'), unclear specific pay raise indicators, and concerns about interpersonal relationships are major barriers preventing people from initiating salary negotiations.
Other comments included 'because I'm changing jobs this year,' 'salary is systematized, not decided by my supervisor,' 'I'm a civil servant so I can't negotiate,' and 'it's troublesome.'
▼For more details, please see here:
https://woman-type.jp/academia/discover-career/data/vol-126/
*Survey data (graphs) are rounded to the nearest whole number, so the total may not be 100%.
*This survey targeted individuals who identify as 'women.'
★Analysis of this survey★
Kayo Kobayashi, Editor-in-Chief of Woman's Job Change type
In recent years, against the backdrop of soaring prices and labor shortages in Japan, there has been a growing momentum for companies to raise wages. This survey found that approximately 40% of people received a pay raise in the past year, with 'base-up' being the top reason.
However, the reality that wage increases are not keeping pace with the speed of price increases cannot be ignored. There is still a significant gap of about 50,000 to 100,000 yen between the ideal take-home pay and reality.
One way to bridge this gap is 'salary negotiation,' but only about 20% have experience with it. The opacity of salary systems and the psychological concern of worsening relations with supervisors act as hurdles, leaving many people dissatisfied but unable to initiate negotiations.
This 'lack of satisfaction' ultimately triggers job changes. In fact, a past survey by 'Woman's Job Change type' cited 'low salary' as the top reason for changing jobs. Going forward, companies are required not only to raise wages but also to create an environment where employees can correctly understand 'why this salary' by clarifying evaluation criteria and establishing a convincing decision-making process.
At the same time, it is important for employees to understand their market value and proactively engage in dialogue about their treatment. This survey also showed that approximately 70% of those who actually negotiated received a pay raise, indicating that taking initiative can be a catalyst for change. While anxiety about being perceived as 'presumptuous' is understandable, it is recommended to first reconfirm the company's salary system or check industry standards on job change websites and review sites. If you then feel doubts about your current treatment, taking action or engaging in dialogue should be the starting point for building a satisfying career.
'Woman's Job Change type,' a job change website for women who want to work long-term as full-time employees, regularly conducts 'Women and Work: Insights from Data' surveys to investigate women's real work perspectives and disclose the actual state of women's working environments.
▼For more details, please see here:
https://woman-type.jp/academia/discover-career/data/vol-126/
■Excerpt from Survey Results
★No. 1 monthly take-home pay is 'less than 200,000 to 250,000 yen,' ideal is 'less than 250,000 to 300,000 yen'
★No. 1 reason for pay raise is 'salary base-up'
★No. 1 reason for no pay raise is 'no pay raise system'
★About 20% have experience negotiating salary, and about 70% of them received a pay increase
【Q.1 How much is your take-home pay?】
*Only for those currently employed
*Excluding part-time and temporary workers
When 'Woman's Job Change type' members were asked about their monthly take-home pay, the top answer was 'less than 200,000 to 250,000 yen' at 31.7%, followed by 'less than 150,000 to 200,000 yen' at 26.7%, and 'less than 250,000 to 300,000 yen' at 21.7%. Overall, a large proportion of respondents had a take-home pay around 200,000 yen.
【Q.2 Has your salary increased in the past year?】
*Only for those currently employed
*Excluding part-time and temporary workers
*Excluding those who joined their current company less than one year ago
When asked whether their take-home pay had increased in the past year, both 'yes, it increased' and 'no, it did not increase (no change)' were 43.6%. While nearly half of the people received a pay raise, 12.7% responded that their pay 'actually decreased,' meaning more than half did not receive a pay raise.
【Q.3 By how much did your monthly pay increase after the raise?】
*Only for those who received a pay raise
When those who answered 'yes, it increased' in Q.2 were asked about the increased monthly take-home pay, 'less than 4,000 yen' was the most common response at 33.3%. This was followed by 'less than 10,000 to 30,000 yen' at 25.0%, and 'less than 6,000 to 10,000 yen' at 18.8%. Although the amount of increase varied from a few thousand yen to tens of thousands of yen, approximately 60% of people received an increase of less than 10,000 yen.
【Q.4 What was the reason for the pay raise?】
*Only for those who received a pay raise
*Multiple answers allowed
The most common reason for a pay raise was 'salary base-up' at 39.6%, followed by 'regular pay raise' at 27.1%, and 'high individual performance or evaluation' at 22.9%. This indicates that pay raises are often due to systemic factors such as base-ups and regular raises, not just individual evaluations.
Other comments included 'changed from temporary employee to contract employee' and 'company received subsidies.'
【Q.5 What was the reason for not receiving a pay raise?】
*Only for those who did not receive a pay raise
*Multiple answers allowed
When those who answered 'no pay raise' in Q.2 were asked for the reason, the top answer was 'the company does not have a pay raise system in the first place' at 27.1%, followed by 'no change in scope of work or responsibility' at 22.9%, and 'no promotion or advancement' or 'poor company performance' at 20.8%. This suggests that many workplaces lack a pay raise system, and changes in roles and responsibilities are often conditions for a pay raise.
Additionally, 14.6% of respondents answered 'I don't know,' indicating that many workplaces do not sufficiently share their pay raise mechanisms and evaluation criteria.
Other comments included 'not yet subject to evaluation,' while some cited work-style restrictions such as 'on leave,' 'working full-remote with reduced hours,' or 'returned from childcare leave with reduced hours.'
【Q.6 What is your ideal monthly take-home pay?】
*Only for those currently employed
*Excluding part-time and temporary workers
When asked about their ideal monthly take-home pay, the most common response was 'less than 250,000 to 300,000 yen' at 37.5%. This was followed by 'less than 300,000 to 400,000 yen' at 33.3%. Since the actual take-home pay was most commonly 'less than 200,000 to 250,000 yen,' it can be inferred that many people desire a salary level approximately 50,000 to 100,000 yen higher than their current take-home pay.
【Q.7 Have you ever negotiated your salary?】
When asked if they had ever negotiated their salary (negotiating with a supervisor, etc., to increase salary), only 23.3% responded that they had. Combining 'never have, and don't plan to in the future' (40.8%) and 'never have, but would like to someday' (35.9%), 76.7% of people had never negotiated their salary. This shows that while a certain number of people are interested in salary negotiation, few actually take action.
【Q.8 As a result of salary negotiation, did your salary increase?】
*Only for those who have negotiated salary
When those who answered 'yes, I have negotiated salary' in Q.7 were asked about the outcome of the negotiation, 'did not reach my desired amount, but increased slightly' was the most common response at 50.9%. Combined with 'increased as desired or more' at 17.5%, 68.4% of people saw their salary increase, indicating that salary negotiation often leads to some positive outcome.
【Q.9 What are the reasons for not negotiating salary?】
*Only for those who have never negotiated salary
*Multiple answers allowed
When those who answered 'never negotiated salary' in Q.7 were asked for their reasons, only 4.3% responded 'satisfied/content with current salary,' indicating that the vast majority of people feel a gap between their ideals and reality but do not proceed with salary negotiation.
The most common reason was 'don't think salary will change even if I negotiate' at 43.1%. This was followed by 'don't know how to negotiate salary' at 35.1%, and 'don't want to worsen relations with my supervisor or company' at 29.8%. It seems that resignation ('negotiation won't lead to results'), unclear specific pay raise indicators, and concerns about interpersonal relationships are major barriers preventing people from initiating salary negotiations.
Other comments included 'because I'm changing jobs this year,' 'salary is systematized, not decided by my supervisor,' 'I'm a civil servant so I can't negotiate,' and 'it's troublesome.'
▼For more details, please see here:
https://woman-type.jp/academia/discover-career/data/vol-126/
*Survey data (graphs) are rounded to the nearest whole number, so the total may not be 100%.
*This survey targeted individuals who identify as 'women.'
★Analysis of this survey★
Kayo Kobayashi, Editor-in-Chief of Woman's Job Change type
In recent years, against the backdrop of soaring prices and labor shortages in Japan, there has been a growing momentum for companies to raise wages. This survey found that approximately 40% of people received a pay raise in the past year, with 'base-up' being the top reason.
However, the reality that wage increases are not keeping pace with the speed of price increases cannot be ignored. There is still a significant gap of about 50,000 to 100,000 yen between the ideal take-home pay and reality.
One way to bridge this gap is 'salary negotiation,' but only about 20% have experience with it. The opacity of salary systems and the psychological concern of worsening relations with supervisors act as hurdles, leaving many people dissatisfied but unable to initiate negotiations.
This 'lack of satisfaction' ultimately triggers job changes. In fact, a past survey by 'Woman's Job Change type' cited 'low salary' as the top reason for changing jobs. Going forward, companies are required not only to raise wages but also to create an environment where employees can correctly understand 'why this salary' by clarifying evaluation criteria and establishing a convincing decision-making process.
At the same time, it is important for employees to understand their market value and proactively engage in dialogue about their treatment. This survey also showed that approximately 70% of those who actually negotiated received a pay raise, indicating that taking initiative can be a catalyst for change. While anxiety about being perceived as 'presumptuous' is understandable, it is recommended to first reconfirm the company's salary system or check industry standards on job change websites and review sites. If you then feel doubts about your current treatment, taking action or engaging in dialogue should be the starting point for building a satisfying career.