Labor's relative share

Japanese: 労働分配率 - ろうどうぶんぱいりつ（英語表記）labour’s relative share

It indicates the ratio of the total added value newly produced by a company that is distributed to the labor providers for that purpose. It is expressed as a percentage, labor costs divided by added value. In the 1950s, the level of the labor share was sometimes used as the basis for demanding wage increases during spring labor offensives. However, since labor costs here include employee salaries, allowances, welfare expenses, and executive compensation, it does not necessarily indicate the degree of "reward to workers." Also, since the denominator of added value is made up of ordinary profits, labor costs, depreciation expenses, etc., and changes depending on the size of these, it is difficult to simply discuss the size of the ratio. However, it can be said that the labor share reflects the basic policy of corporate management. For example, if we compare Toyota and Nissan, the labor share in fiscal 2005 was 37.1% for Toyota and 43.9% for Nissan. Toyota's labor cost burden rate on sales has also been low since the 1980s, and in other words, it can be said that Toyota has continued to accumulate added value internally with a low labor share to this day. Incidentally, ten years ago, in 1998, Nissan's labor share was 75.8% and Toyota's was 43.4%. This is one of the major reasons why Toyota has no difficulty in maintaining its traditional employment measures, which are unchanged from the high-growth period, even in today's economic downturn.

(Akihiro Koyama, Professor, Gakushuin University / 2008)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

企業が新たに生産した付加価値全体のうちそのための労働の提供者に分配された比率を表す。それは、人件費÷付加価値で%表示される。1950年代には労働分配率のレベルを春闘の賃上げ要求の根拠にしていたこともあった。しかし、ここでの人件費には従業員給料手当や福利厚生費の他に役員報酬も含むことから、必ずしも「労働者への報い」の程度を示すものではないし、分母の付加価値が経常利益・人件費・減価償却費などからなり、その大きさとの兼ね合いで変化するため単純に大小を議論することは難しい。ただし、労働分配率には企業経営の基本方針が反映されるといえる。すなわち、たとえばトヨタと日産を比べると、2005年度の労働分配率はトヨタが37.1%、日産が43.9%である。売上高人件費負担率についても1980年代からトヨタは低く、要するに低い労働分配率で付加価値の内部蓄積を続けて今日に至っているといえる。ちなみに10年前、1998年の労働分配率は、日産の75.8%に対してトヨタは43.4%である。これは、トヨタには景気低迷の今日でも高度成長期と変わらない従来の雇用対策を維持することが難しくないことの、大きな要因の1つと言えよう。

(小山明宏学習院大学教授／ 2008年)

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