Anime Workers Average 56-Hour Weeks With Low Pay: Report

Conditions for those who create some of your favorite anime series have made quite a few headlines in recent years. A prime example was Studio MAPPA and the tough conditions that were required for those who were creating the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen. While the struggle continues to give better conditions to those working in the anime industry, a new report proves that the fight is far from over as animators aren’t just putting in some major hours, but receiving low pay for their efforts.

When it comes to the amount of hours that animators in Japan are putting in on a regular basis, a new study from the Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association found that in 2023, said animators were putting in some serious hours. Half the anime industry was reported to have worked over “225 hours per month” in 2023, which is a little over fifty-six hours per week, the equivalent of over eleven hours per day in a five-day work week. “NAFCA” was specifically founded in 2023 to aid in creating better working conditions for those working in the anime industry and in creating this survey, the organization surveyed around 323 respondents.

Long Hours, Low Pay

Unfortunately, the long hours aren’t resulting in higher pay for those responsible for some of your favorite anime adaptations. In the same report by the Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association noted that the median wage for anime industry workers was around $7.33 USD. In Japan, the minimum wage is a little over $6 USD, showing the dire circumstances for animators. Thanks to the long hours, many respondents also noted that they do not have other jobs to increase their take-home pay as around 77% noted that they only have one job in animation.

On top of these statistics, there are other mentions from the study that prove that change is needed in the industry. Over 65% of respondents noted that they experienced “workplace harassment” and over 85% stated that they had witnessed some form of harassment within the industry. NAFCA clearly has their work cut out for them when it comes to making the anime industry a better place for the animators who are hard at work on the medium.

What are your thoughts on the current problems of the anime industry? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

Via Kyodo News