---
title: Japan by the Numbers | Nobu Sato
description: Reports that read Japan’s labor and talent markets from public data.
image: https://nobusato.jp/hubfs/seo/og-en.png
---

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# Japan by the Numbers

Reports that read Japan’s labor and talent markets from public data.

1. 01[Only 20% in Japan Wanted to Manage, Last of 18 in 2022](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/japan-fewest-want-to-be-managers)7 min
   
   In a 2022 Persol survey, 19.8% of non-managers in Japan wanted a management post, last of 18 markets (average 58.6%). What it means for promoting and hiring.
2. 02[Why Japan's Recruiter Fees Run 30 to 35% of Salary](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/japan-recruiter-fee-a-third-of-salary)8 min
   
   Japan caps recruiter fees near 7% of salary unless the agency files its own schedule. Filed schedules say 30 to 40%. The FY2024 average was ¥1.03m per hire.
3. 03[10, 50, 101: Japan's Headcount Lines for Employers](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/japan-headcount-legal-thresholds)8 min
   
   Japanese labor duties switch on at 10, 37.5, 50, 100, 101 and 301 people, some per site, some per company. A levy line at 80 was proposed in October 2026.
4. 04[90% Feared Japanese. The Real Gap Was Hou-ren-sou](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/vietnamese-engineers-japanese-worry)6 min
   
   In a 22-company survey, 90% worried about Japanese before hiring Vietnamese engineers; afterwards 26% said it fell short. How to relax the language bar.
5. 05[Japan Job Ad Pay Averages ¥5.13M. Experience Adds ¥1.15M](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/mid-career-posting-pay-513)7 min
   
   Mynavi's full-time job ads offered a record ¥5.13M average in H1 FY2026. It is an asking price, and ads requiring experience pay ¥1.15M more. Price the segment.
6. 06[Japan's Labor Share: 47% at Big Firms, 82% at the Smallest](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/labor-share-by-industry-japan)9 min
   
   Japan's labor share was 64.2% in fiscal 2024, but 47.3% at firms with capital over 1 billion yen and 81.5% under 10 million. What that means for a budget.
7. 07[Half of Japanese Aged 65 to 69 Work. Only Korea Comes Close](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/age-employment-policies-compared)10 min
   
   Japan's labor ministry reads other countries' youth and older-worker policies. At 65 to 69, Japan leads at 54.9%, France trails at 11.6%. What to borrow.
8. 08[How many Chinese companies are in Japan? 317, or 25,000](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/chinese-companies-in-japan-how-many)7 min
   
   METI counted 317 Chinese-parent firms, Toyo Keizai lists 3,146 foreign firms, 24,840 Chinese nationals hold Business Manager visas. Same question, three rulers.
9. 09[Japan Lost 13.5 Million Working-Age People in 30 Years](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/japan-working-age-population-down-13-million)7 min
   
   Japan's population aged 15 to 64 fell from 87.26 million in 1995 to 73.73 million in 2024, yet employment rose. Who filled the gap, and why that cannot repeat.
10. 10[How Far Behind US Pay Are Japan's Software Engineers?](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/japan-vs-us-software-engineer-pay)8 min
    
    Japan's software developers average 5.785 million yen; the US median is $135,980. A quarter at market rates, under half at PPP, with the gap widest at the top.

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