Work Reform

I like that Costco does this, but this is a shit article with a clickbait headline. The "local businesses" was 1 guy at a gas station that said "I can't pay that". The vast majority of businesses here give at the very least a yearly cost of living raise. Most give more the longer you are with a company. Been working 20 years and my own raises have outpaced inflation almost every time.

The flip side of that coin though is that wages start ridiculously low. Regardless of the position or responsibility, a starting salary will be about 200k ~ 250k yen ($1700 usd) a month.

Good on Costco.

Costco Japan (at least around greater Tokyo) also tend to hire people who speak at least some English in addition to Japanese. However, these people also have to deal with Costco Japan (super packed, people with huge carts and zero situational awareness blocking whole aisles whilst faffing about on their phone not even shopping, etc.), so that definitely requires a premium. I go once every few months and always want to pull my hair out.

If they scale Costco worker to the average worker they must be superheroes in Japan.

Step 1 - Pay higher wages than others. Local businesses eventually destroyed

Step 2 - Lower the wages back to "normal"

Step 3 - Profit