初任給大幅増、中小企業は二の足 現社員の士気に影響 「大企業との格差拡大」
賃上げ原資に乏しい中小企業が大企業並みの初任給に引き上げるのは極めて困難だ。民間シンクタンク、産労総合研究所（東京都千代田区）の調査によると、2024年度入社の新卒社員の初任給は従業員数299人以下の中小企業で21万8118円（大卒平均）。前年度から3・1％増えたものの、30万円台が相次ぐ大企業の水準には到底及ばない。
中小企業で新卒を入れるというのは難しい時代でしょうね。中途採用で中小企業はあり得るけれども中小企業の経営者もバカではないので、能力に乏しい人を採用することはしないと思います。今後中小企業は、できる人同士が組んでいくことはするものの採用をすることはしていかないのではないかと思います。企業が最も苦しむのは人件費と、一度雇ったらクビにしにくい今の制度。パワハラ、セクハラ、カスハラなどの各種ハラスメントに苦しまないためには、採用しないで会社が回る仕組みを中小企業は身に付けたらいい。人を入れれば取り分は減るし。
50になってもまだまだ上を目指したい自分は、スキルとやる気はいくつになっても伸びると思っています。
Starting Salary Surge Faces Resistance from SMEs: Morale Impact on Current Employees and Widening Gap with Major Corporations
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources for wage increases find it extremely difficult to match the starting salaries offered by large corporations. According to a survey by the private think tank, Institute of Labor Administration (located in Chiyoda, Tokyo), the average starting salary for university graduates joining SMEs with fewer than 299 employees in fiscal year 2024 is ¥218,118. Although this reflects a 3.1% increase from the previous year, it falls far short of the ¥300,000 range increasingly offered by large companies.
Recruiting fresh graduates is becoming increasingly challenging for SMEs. While mid-career hiring remains a possibility, SME business owners are not naive; they are unlikely to hire individuals with insufficient skills. In the future, SMEs may shift away from traditional hiring practices and instead focus on partnerships between skilled individuals.
One of the biggest challenges for companies is the high cost of labor and the difficulty of terminating employees under current regulations. To avoid issues such as power harassment, sexual harassment, customer harassment, and other forms of workplace misconduct, SMEs would benefit from developing systems that allow businesses to operate without expanding their workforce. After all, bringing in more employees dilutes profits.
Even at the age of 50, I aspire to aim higher. I believe that skills and motivation can continue to grow, no matter your age.
株式会社ASAP
及川知也
