--- title: "Japan's Biggest Union Group Sets a 6% Pay Raise Target…" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-10-22T13:06:21.000Z" modified: "2026-10-22T13:06:21.000Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [News](/blog/tag/news)[Salary](/blog/tag/salary)[Labor Market](/blog/tag/labor-market)[Inflation](/blog/tag/inflation)[Economy](/blog/tag/economy) # Japan's Biggest Union Group Sets a 6% Pay Raise Target for 2027 Wage Talks Rengo wants 2027 raises of 6% at the centre and 5% minimum, 4% base pay at the centre, and 20,000 yen and 6% for some small unions. See what it means for pay. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [October 22, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/10)14 min read ![A tidy Japanese precision parts factory with green CNC machines, steel parts in trays and work jackets on hooks](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/japan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027-hero.jpg) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Japan's%20Biggest%20Union%20Group%20Sets%20a%206%25%20Pay%20Raise%20Target%20for%202027%20Wage%20Talks&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Japan's%20Biggest%20Union%20Group%20Sets%20a%206%25%20Pay%20Raise%20Target%20for%202027%20Wage%20Talks&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027&title=Japan's%20Biggest%20Union%20Group%20Sets%20a%206%25%20Pay%20Raise%20Target%20for%202027%20Wage%20Talks](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027&title=Japan's%20Biggest%20Union%20Group%20Sets%20a%206%25%20Pay%20Raise%20Target%20for%202027%20Wage%20Talks)[mailto:?subject=Japan's%20Biggest%20Union%20Group%20Sets%20a%206%25%20Pay%20Raise%20Target%20for%202027%20Wage%20Talks&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027](mailto:?subject=Japan's%20Biggest%20Union%20Group%20Sets%20a%206%25%20Pay%20Raise%20Target%20for%202027%20Wage%20Talks&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fjapan-rengo-6-percent-wage-target-2027) [Rengo's member unions will be asked to seek total raises of 6% at the centre and at least 5% in the 2027 spring wage talks](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf), a range that includes the amount that keeps the seniority pay curve in place plus a base-pay increase. Rengo, [the Japanese Trade Union Confederation](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), signed off on the plan at its central executive committee on October 22. Rengo is [Japan's largest labor union federation](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). The short answer is that 6% is [a guide for member unions' demands](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), not a raise anyone has won yet. For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers, the plan document carries far more detail than the headline number, from what the target means in yen to separate goals for small firms and part-time staff. ## What Exactly Is Rengo Asking For in 2027? The plan is called [the basic outline for the 2027 spring struggle](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), the annual wage round known in Japan as shunto. Its overall guide sets [the base-pay portion at 4% at the centre and at least 3%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), and the total raise, including the amount that keeps the seniority pay curve in place, at [6% at the centre and at least 5%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). That split matters for reading your own payslip. Rengo's total figure has [two parts, the amount that keeps the pay curve in place for one year of age and service, and the raise on top](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Its base-pay figure isolates the second part. Recent pay growth has leaned on that monthly pay too, with Japan's August wage data showing [the gain came from steady monthly pay rather than bonuses](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-real-wages-august-2026-eighth-month). Rengo's stated aim is to [keep Japan's real wages on a stable track of 1% growth](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf) and to keep building what it calls a wage-rise norm. Rengo set the centre and the minimum with [the Cabinet Office's mid-year estimate of 0.9% real GDP growth and 2.2% consumer prices for fiscal 2026](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf) in mind, along with a productivity trend of just under 1%, while weighing the need for disposable income to beat prices and for a larger share of company earnings to go to workers. ## Is the Target 5% or 6%? Both numbers are in the plan, and they do different jobs. The 5% is the floor, the [minimum that Rengo has used as its demand benchmark for three years running](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Rengo plans to [urge affiliated unions to demand total pay increases of at least 5% and ideally 6%](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). After [setting a target of at least 5% last year, the federation added the 6% figure to encourage unions to push for even bigger pay increases](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html), according to assistant secretary general Akira Nidaira. ## What Would a 6% Raise Mean for a Monthly Paycheck? For small unions facing circumstances such as being unable to pin down their own wage data, Rengo also states the target in yen. Against [the average wage level of Rengo member unions, 6% or more equals at least 20,000 yen a month](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), made up of [4,500 yen to maintain the pay curve and at least 15,500 yen of raise including the gap correction](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). For comparison, the 2026 round delivered a weighted average of [16,400 yen, or 5.01%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf) across the 5,368 unions that reported under Rengo's average-wage method. The base-pay part alone came to [11,510 yen, or 3.50%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf) among unions that could separate it out. The plan also sets pay levels, not just percentages, so a worker can check where they stand. Rengo's target monthly wage at the median is [323,000 yen at age 35 and 300,000 yen at age 30](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Its minimum level, pegged to the bottom quarter of earners, is [268,000 yen at age 35 and 256,000 yen at age 30](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Those benchmarks are [built from estimates based on the 2025 national wage census](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), then lifted by recent pay growth and the 2027 target. [The 2.9% year-on-year rise in scheduled earnings for full-time (general) workers in the June 2026 monthly labour survey](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf) and the 3% base-pay goal were applied to set them. > Only a few people feel their lives have improved, Rengo said in the shunto policy it formally adopted last November, in the English translation quoted by [the Jiji Press report on its adoption](https://english.adnkronos.com/2025/11/28/japan-labor-group-rengo-to-seek-wage-hike-of-5-pct-of-more/). ## What Is Different for Workers at Small Companies? The pay gap between large and small companies [began widening in 2023, and labour shortages are more severe at small firms than at large ones](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Small unions facing circumstances such as being unable to pin down their own wage data should seek [at least 20,000 yen and 6%, which is the 5% minimum plus at least 1% to close the gap](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf). The [6% small-firm minimum is unchanged from last year](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). All small unions are asked to [secure the amount that keeps the pay curve in place first, then compare their wages with Rengo's benchmarks and demand whatever it takes to reach them](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). There is also a catch-up clause. If a union's wages have not risen by [at least 12% compared with four years earlier, the inflation of those four years](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), the plan tells it to seek that recovery as well. The 2026 record shows the gap. Workers at small companies [secured raises of just 4.69% on average in 2026 against demands for 6.64%](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). The [3,831 small unions with fewer than 300 people won 12,866 yen, or 4.69%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf), up on the year before in both yen and rate. The base-pay part at small unions came to [9,840 yen, or 3.51%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf), a rate slightly above the overall 3.50%. [Being able to pass costs on to customers made a difference of roughly 1,500 to 3,000 yen in raises](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf), in surveys by Rengo's member organisations. The plan also [pairs wage demands with a push for fair pricing and pass-through of labour costs along supply chains](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). ## What About Part-Time and Contract Workers? Workers on fixed-term, part-time and contract terms get their own target. The plan sets [a guide of 7%, and at least a rise above the rate at which regional minimum wages go up](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). For reference, [regional minimum wages for fiscal 2026 were raised by 5%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Two hourly figures are worth knowing. Rengo wants company-level minimum wage agreements that cover every worker in the firm at [1,350 yen an hour or more](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). It also wants non-regular staff with about five years of experience to reach [1,500 yen an hour or more](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf) through raises and pay increments, so that pay rises with skill the way it does for full-time staff. This group did well in the last round. The hourly pay of fixed-term, part-time and contract workers [rose 6.18%, above the 5.01% for full-time members](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf), the largest increase in yen terms in Rengo's final tallies since it began tallying hourly pay in the mid-2000s. The plan also looks past unionised workplaces. For the legal regional minimum wage, Rengo wants to clear its own living wage benchmark quickly and treat [1,500 yen as a passing point on the way to 60% of the median wage of full-time (general) workers](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Rengo will [propose its legal minimum wage policy at a central executive committee in December 2026](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). ## What Is the New 15% Goal for 2030? The plan [newly sets a medium-term target](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf). Rengo wants wages in 2030 to be [about 15% above the 2026 level](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf), and calls this forward guidance. It also aims for Japan to [move off the bottom of the major economies on wages by 2030](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Nidaira said the target [assumes annual wage growth of 3% over the next four years, plus an additional 3% boost from investment policies under the Takaichi administration](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). He also said [a longer-term outlook for wages is important to support continued growth](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). In yen, the 2030 median goal is [360,000 yen at age 35 and 340,000 yen at age 30](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), with a bottom-quarter goal of [300,000 yen at age 35 and 290,000 yen at age 30](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). For a worker in their thirties, those numbers are a useful yardstick for whether pay is on track. The plan also points to a sense among older staff that pay lags prices. [57% of workers overall, 43.8% of those in their 20s and 66.7% of those in their 50s and early 60s said their pay had risen less than prices in an April 2026 Rengo Research Institute survey](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Companies [have tended to raise starting pay sharply to hire while relatively restraining raises for middle-aged and older staff](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), and the plan asks unions to bargain over how raises are shared out. ## How Did the Last Two Rounds Actually End? The 2025 round ended with a weighted average of [5.25%, above 5% for the second consecutive year](https://english.adnkronos.com/2025/11/28/japan-labor-group-rengo-to-seek-wage-hike-of-5-pct-of-more/). The 2026 round came in at [5.01%, the third consecutive year above 5%](https://english.adnkronos.com/2026/07/03/japan-unions-clinch-5-01-pct-wage-hike-in-2026-shunto/), and [0.24 percentage point lower than in the 2025 talks](https://english.adnkronos.com/2026/07/03/japan-unions-clinch-5-01-pct-wage-hike-in-2026-shunto/). Workers [secured raises of more than 5% in all three years, levels last seen in 1991](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html), part of the shift in which [Japan's wages are rising after decades of stagnation](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-wages-rising-after-decades-stagnation-what-it-signals-workers). [Raises are reaching more unions](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf) too. The share of unions winning 5% or more went from [0.7% in 2022 to 10.2% in 2023, 35.8% in 2024, 42.7% in 2025 and 43.0% in 2026](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf). The base-pay part of the 2026 raises [beat the prior year's 2.6% inflation by just under one point](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf). The 2026 raises, along with easing inflation, [helped lift real wages for an eighth straight month in August, the longest streak of gains in almost a decade](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). > A crucial moment of whether or not Japanese society will be able to establish wage increases as a norm and break away from the deflationary mindset, Rengo President Tomoko Yoshino said of the 2026 shunto last November, in the English translation carried by [the Jiji Press account of the meeting](https://english.adnkronos.com/2025/11/28/japan-labor-group-rengo-to-seek-wage-hike-of-5-pct-of-more/). ## Have Unions Won What They Asked For? Unions have won less than they asked in recent rounds. Rengo unions [demanded increases of more than 5.8% in each of the past three rounds](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html), and the average demand in 2026 was [5.94%, against 6.09% in 2025](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf). In both of the last two rounds, [the final result came in below the average demand](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf). To boost personal consumption, [it is essential to spread wage hikes to small and midsize companies and address disparities](https://english.adnkronos.com/2025/11/28/japan-labor-group-rengo-to-seek-wage-hike-of-5-pct-of-more/), Rengo said in its 2026 policy. Yoshino warned last November that if inflation and wage increases are not balanced, [the economy will shrink and Japan will fall back to the lost three decades of low growth and deflation](https://english.adnkronos.com/2025/11/28/japan-labor-group-rengo-to-seek-wage-hike-of-5-pct-of-more/). Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi [stressed the need for sustained pay gains that outpace inflation](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html) in her October policy speech. The [Bank of Japan is hoping to spur a mutually reinforcing cycle of wage and price growth](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html) as it raises rates. Rengo's plan also takes aim at how companies spend their profits. In its view, corporate earnings remain high overall, yet [shareholder dividends tend to be prioritised over investment in people](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), and it argues that the way profits are shared needs to change. ## When Will Workers Know Their 2027 Raise? The October document is a first step. Rengo has set out its calendar, with a central discussion meeting on [October 30, the draft policy at an executive committee on November 19, and the final policy at the central committee on December 2](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf). After that, the action moves to each company. Member unions [typically submit their wage demands by around February, with companies responding from March onward](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html), and the plan aims to raise [the number of unions drawing out responses within March](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). Timing showed up in the results last spring. Unions that settled within March won [5.13% overall and 5.09% at small unions, against 4.45% and 4.32% for those settling from April](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf), a gap Rengo [says was probably due to differences in bargaining conditions and strength](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2026/houshin/data/matome20260716.pdf). ## What This Means for Workers in Japan, and What Should You Do Next? Our take is that the centre figure is a bargaining signal more than a forecast. In each of the last three rounds, unions [demanded more than 5.8%, and workers then secured raises of more than 5%](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). The more useful parts of the plan for a worker are the yen benchmarks, the small-firm and part-time targets and the 2030 goal, because those let you test your own pay rather than the national average. - **Check your pay against the benchmarks.** If you are in your thirties, compare your scheduled monthly pay with Rengo's [median targets of 300,000 yen at 30 and 323,000 yen at 35](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). If you sit below the bottom-quarter levels, that gap is a concrete figure to raise with your union or manager. - **Know which number your raise counts.** Rengo's [total figure includes the amount that keeps the seniority pay curve in place](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf). Ask how much is base pay, since that is the part Rengo wants at [3% or more](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). - **At a small firm, look at the catch-up clause.** If your union's wage level is [not at least 12% above its level four years ago](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf), the plan backs a recovery claim as well. - **On part-time or contract terms, use the hourly targets.** The [1,350 yen and 1,500 yen figures in the plan's hourly section](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf) are concrete reference points in a review. - **If your employer will not move, look around.** Comparing outside offers is one way to test what your skills are worth. ## Related Articles - [LDP Leadership Race Sparks Urgent Labor Market Reform Discussions in Japan](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/labor-market-reform-ldp-leadership) - [Japan Economy Just Hit a Postwar Record but Worker Pay Still Lags](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-record-growth-worker-pay-lags-2026) - [Japanese Companies Embrace Record Wage Increases](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japanese-firms-wage-boost) - [Japan Sees First Rise in Real Wages in Over Two Years Amid Record Nominal Pay Growth](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-real-wages-rise-nominal-pay-growth) - [Companies in Japan Ditch Dress Codes to Win Workers in Historic Labor Crunch](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-dress-code) - [Japan M&A Boom Sparks Hiring Frenzy](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/japan-mergers-acquisitions) - [How to Negotiate a Raise After a Title Change Without a Pay Increase](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-to-negotiate-a-raise-after-a-title-change-without-a-pay-increase) - [The UK Just Published the Names of Employers That Underpaid Their Staff](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-minimum-wage-naming-list-underpaid-workers) ## People Also Asked ### Q: What wage increase is Rengo seeking for 2027? A: Rengo is seeking total raises of [6% at the centre and at least 5%, including the amount that keeps the seniority pay curve in place](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf), with base pay of [4% at the centre and at least 3%](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/houshin/data/kousou20261022.pdf). ### Q: How much did Japanese unions win in the 2026 shunto? A: Rengo unions won a weighted average of [5.01%, the third consecutive year above 5%](https://english.adnkronos.com/2026/07/03/japan-unions-clinch-5-01-pct-wage-hike-in-2026-shunto/), while smaller unions averaged [4.69%, which fell short of Rengo's target of 6% or more for smaller unions](https://english.adnkronos.com/2026/07/03/japan-unions-clinch-5-01-pct-wage-hike-in-2026-shunto/). ### Q: When will Rengo finalise its 2027 wage policy? A: The final policy goes to Rengo's central committee on [December 2](https://www.jtuc-rengo.or.jp/activity/roudou/shuntou/2027/press_release/press_release_20261022.pdf), and member unions [typically submit their wage demands by around February](https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/japan-s-top-union-group-calls-for-6-wage-increases-in-2027-article-14057578.html). Wondering what you should earn? [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) brings together 50M jobs in one place. 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