TOKYO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Japan's real wages fell 0.3 percent in November from a year before, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline, government data showed Thursday.

Inflation-adjusted real wages at workplaces with five or more employees, a barometer of consumer purchasing power, remained negative in November, as pay growth failed to keep pace with rising prices, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Nominal wages, or the average total monthly cash earnings per worker including base and overtime pay, rose 3.0 percent to 305,832 yen (about 1,900 U.S. dollars), growing for the 35th straight month, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the consumer price index excluding imputed rent, used to calculate the real wage index, grew 3.4 percent in November, accelerating from October's 2.6 percent gain.

The ministry attributed the surge in prices to reduced government subsidies for utility bills and persistently higher food prices.

The country's real wages dropped for the 26th straight month through May but turned positive in the following two months. They started sliding again from August, despite government measures to address high inflation and calls on companies to raise salaries. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)