Aeon to Raise Part-Timer Wages by 7 Pct

Tokyo, Feb. 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese retailer Aeon Co. <8267> will raise hourly wages by 7 pct on average from March for about 400,000 part-timers working in supermarkets and other stores run by about 150 domestic units, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

With the large wage hike, Aeon aims to maintain the standard of living of its part-timers amid soaring prices and boost its productivity by securing skilled workers.

The move by Aeon, which employs the largest number of part-timers in the country, may encourage other companies to follow suit.

The Aeon group employs 80 pct of its workers as part-timers. Their average hourly wages are about 1,000 yen and annual income about 1.2 million yen.

The wage increase will raise the average hourly wages by about 70 yen and annual income by about 80,000 yen.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]