Anime Studios Shift Toward Full-Time Jobs, Survey Shows
The data reverses a long-held narrative that anime runs on freelancers, as studios lock in talent during a persistent labor shortage.
Reporting from 1 sources: Animenomics.
New survey data from the Japan Animation Creators Association shows a sharp rise in full-time salaried roles at anime production studios. In 2024, 47 percent of respondents held permanent positions, up from 17 percent in 2013. Non-permanent work fell from three in four to one in two over the same period. Average monthly working hours dropped to about 190, and median annual earnings rose to ¥4 million, though work stress remains high.
For years the anime industry told itself a story: most of the people who draw its shows are freelancers, moving from studio to studio. New survey data from labor group JAniCA says that picture has changed. Half of respondents were in non-permanent roles in 2024, down from three-quarters in 2013. Salaried positions climbed to 47 percent. Even many contract workers now hold retainer deals that tie them to a single employer.
The shift lines up with better hours and pay. Average monthly working hours fell from 262 to 190 over the decade. Median annual earnings rose to 4 million yen from 3 million yen in 2013. Work stress, by contrast, stayed high. The data shows the rise in salaried roles happening over a decade in which the industry has faced a persistent labor shortage, and it does not assert that the shortage caused the change.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Animenomics Anime employment shifts to full-time positions