A total of 72.3 percent of listed firms polled in Japan rejected pay-scale hikes in this spring's wage talks, up 1 percentage point from the previous year, according to a private think tank.

In a report released on Monday, the Institute of Labour Administration also found that 56.7 percent of labour unions believe it is difficult to achieve pay-scale increases this spring.

The questionnaire survey had responses from 148 officials representing management and 194 labour union representatives from companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's two sections, as well as 163 experts on labour issues. The survey ran between 9 Dec. and 13 Jan.