Overtime pay in Japan surged in January 2026, with the year-over-year indicator rising to 3.30%, more than double the previous month’s growth rate. The latest data, updated on 8 March 2026, shows a sharp acceleration from December 2025, when overtime pay had increased 1.50% compared with the same month a year earlier.
The figures are based on year-over-year comparisons, where the current reading measures the change in overtime pay in January 2026 versus January a year ago, while the previous reading reflected the change in December 2025 compared with December a year earlier. The jump from 1.50% to 3.30% suggests a notable strengthening in overtime compensation pressures at the start of 2026.
