Recently, technology firms like JD.com and ByteDance, alongside manufacturing behemoths such as CATL and BYD Company Limited, have successively announced salary raises and enhanced year-end bonus incentives, sparking a wave of corporate pay increases. JD.com stated that its total year-end bonus expenditure surged by over 70% year-on-year, while ByteDance declared a 35% increase in its 2025 bonus pool. This trend responds to the "plan to formulate and implement income growth programs for urban and rural residents" proposed at the Central Economic Work Conference, marking a widely welcomed development. On December 25th, JD.com released its 2025 year-end bonus announcement, revealing that 92% of its employees received their full or even exceeded their year-end bonus targets, with total bonus expenditure up more than 70% compared to the previous year; notably, bonuses for JD's procurement and sales staff were described as having "no upper limit."

Shortly before, ByteDance also announced a 35% increase in its 2025 bonus pool and a 1.5-fold rise in its salary adjustment budget. Almost simultaneously, super giants like BYD Company Limited and CATL began implementing salary increases for their employees. This recalls the recent Central Economic Work Conference, which listed key economic tasks for the coming year, with the first item proposing the formulation and implementation of an income growth plan for urban and rural residents. Undoubtedly, companies proactively raising salaries and distributing bonuses yield immediate effects. As the year-end approaches, employees have new hopes, with many wishing for this salary increase trend to reach them soon. The announcements from JD and ByteDance signify that major corporations are beginning to compete intensely on compensation.

Starting with JD.com, as early as September last year, the company launched a "20-month salary" upgrade plan, announcing that its retail group and functional systems would achieve this target within two years starting October 1, 2024, with other departments following suit. Under this plan, JD's year-end bonuses continued their significant rise this year, with upgraded departments achieving a 19-month salary structure, and some business units even reaching the 20-month target ahead of schedule. Furthermore, year-end bonuses for frontline employees will still be distributed before the Chinese New Year. Overall, JD's total year-end bonus expenditure for 2025 increased by over 70% year-on-year, expected to set the industry's largest increase this year. Specifically, in departments upgraded to a 19-month salary structure this year: employees with an A+ annual performance rating will receive a year-end bonus equivalent to 10 times their monthly salary, resulting in a total annual compensation of 22 months' pay; those rated A will get 9 times their monthly salary, totaling 21 months' pay; and employees with a B+ rating will receive 7 times their monthly salary, amounting to 19 months' total annual pay. In departments that achieved the 20-month salary target early: employees with a B+ rating can receive a full 8 times their monthly salary as a year-end bonus, totaling 20 months' pay; while those rated A+ will directly receive a 12-month bonus, resulting in an impressive 24 months' total annual compensation. Even more enviable is JD's procurement and sales team, which is set to achieve an average of 25 months' pay this year, described as having "no ceiling." This marks the seventh time JD has enhanced employee compensation incentives in just over a year. It is also worth noting that when JD expanded into food delivery services this year, it took the lead in providing full social security contributions for its full-time riders, pushing the industry toward a "five social insurances and one housing fund" standard.

ByteDance also made significant moves. On December 19th, the company issued an all-staff announcement declaring an increased investment in bonuses (including performance-based options), with the total 2025 performance assessment cycle budget rising by 35% compared to the previous cycle; a substantial boost to the salary adjustment budget, increased by 1.5 times over the last cycle; and raised the lower (starting salary) and upper limits (salary cap) of the total compensation package for all job levels. ByteDance explained in its email that the industry is facing new opportunities and challenges, and the company aims to better incentivize and retain top talent while also attracting outstanding global professionals, emphasizing that "it's never too late to join." Within the internet giant circle, ByteDance's compensation packages have always been attractive. According to several popular recruitment posts on its social platforms, positions like "Overseas Commercialization - Algorithm Expert" can offer monthly salaries up to 80,000 yuan, "Intelligent Editing Technology Expert" up to 70,000 yuan, and campus recruitment roles for Large Model Algorithm Engineers can reach 60,000 yuan per month, demonstrating formidable competitiveness. Of course, this reflects an intensely competitive battle for talent, and the competition is heating up rapidly.

This salary increase trend has also spread to the intelligent manufacturing sector. Starting with CATL, a "Notice on Salary Adjustment for Employees Grade 1-6 in 2026" issued by the company showed that, effective January 1, 2026, the basic salary for Grade 1-6 employees—primarily frontline staff like production line operators and technicians—would be raised by 150 yuan, with other salary structures remaining unchanged. The news quickly became a hot search topic online, with some netizens调侃 calling it a "drop in the bucket," while others argued that "even a little is better than nothing." Beyond the salary increase, CATL also released a Spring Festival duty reward plan: during the 2026 Spring Festival period, employees meeting specific attendance conditions can receive an additional reward of at least 3,200 yuan, applicable to employees in grades 1-10 across ten departments and centers at CATL and its domestic wholly-owned subsidiaries and battery/material manufacturing bases. With a market capitalization of 1.7 trillion yuan, CATL's profitability is astounding. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, its revenue reached 104.185 billion yuan, a 12.90% increase, while net profit grew 41.21% to 18.549 billion yuan. Roughly calculated, "King Ning" earns approximately 200 million yuan daily.

BYD Company Limited has joined the movement as well. Recently, messages circulated on internet social platforms indicated that BYD implemented salary increases for its technical R&D personnel—with adjustments ranging from 500 to 3,000 yuan, and maximum increases reaching 4,500 yuan. BYD confirmed that the salary raises were genuine but did not disclose the specific幅度 or the number of employees affected. Another company, Wuxi Apptec, with a market cap exceeding 270 billion yuan, is also part of the trend. Industry sources suggest that Wuxi Apptec completed two salary adjustments in 2025: a performance-based differentiated annual raise in April, and a special adjustment for its chemical business platform implemented at the end of November, covering 90% of formal employees with an average adjustment rate exceeding 12%. To the envy of many workers, Wuxi Apptec distributed its 2025 "Sunshine Award"—2,500 yuan per person—yesterday, covering all employees regardless of position or performance. Reportedly, this is a long-standing tradition at the biopharmaceutical giant, and this year's award was 500 yuan higher than previous years. Thus, from technology and manufacturing to new energy and pharmaceuticals, giants are unanimously signaling salary increases, sending a subtle yet clear message.

Behind these salary increases lies an encouragement for vigorous consumption, a trend that has been signaled earlier. It is important to mention the broader context here. For a long time, the proportion of resident income to GDP in China has been relatively low, at only around 40%, compared to approximately 70% in developed countries and a global average of about 60%. Looking at consumption levels, the contribution of final consumption expenditure to economic growth reached 53.5% in the first three quarters of 2025, which, while improved from previous years, still lags behind developed nations. Expanding domestic demand and consumption has become a crucial battle. The Central Economic Work Conference, which concluded on December 11th, explicitly called for "formulating and implementing an income growth plan for urban and rural residents." A detailed reading reveals a clear difference from previous years' statements; this year, the focus is not solely on low and middle-income groups but almost covers the entire population. Furthermore, compared to last year's emphasis on "promoting," this year's directive is "formulate and implement," indicating a shift from planning to concrete action. Days later, an article in *Qiushi* magazine titled "Resolutely Implement the Strategy of Expanding Domestic Demand" provided more specific details on the resident income plan, stating, "Implement the urban and rural resident income growth plan, increase the proportion of resident income in national income distribution, and raise the share of labor remuneration in primary distribution." Clearly, the most direct and effective way to increase resident income is to raise wages. This, in turn, aims to further unleash the consumption potential of Chinese residents, making them wealthier and more willing to spend, thereby creating a more balanced growth dynamic between domestic and external demand. While working to make the "pie" bigger, it is also essential to divide it better. According to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, over 20 provinces have raised their minimum wage standards since 2025: the first-tier monthly minimum wage standard has exceeded 2,000 yuan across the board. Shanghai leads the nation with 2,740 yuan. Beijing, Tianjin, and Guangdong also have standards above 2,500 yuan, with Shenzhen announcing a separate minimum wage standard of 2,520 yuan. On the other hand, super giants represented by JD.com, ByteDance, CATL, and BYD Company Limited have taken the lead in setting a positive example. After all, only when residents become more affluent and their consumption capacity increases can domestic demand be effectively stimulated. This is just the beginning.