Avg. Wage Up But Real Wages Down For 6th Month In Row
Workers in Japan saw their wages go up again in September, but not by as much as inflation.
The labor ministry's preliminary figures show that the average wage for the month, including base and overtime pay, was 275,787 yen... or nearly 1,900 dollars.
That's up 2.1 percent in yen terms from a year earlier, and is the ninth consecutive month of increase.
The monthly survey covers more than 30,000 businesses nationwide with at least five workers.
The rate of growth for full-time workers, excluding part-timers, was higher at 2.4 percent.
Overtime and other extra pay grew 6.7 percent.
But workers may not be feeling the benefit. The average real wage, taking inflation into consideration, dropped in September by 1.3 percent from a year earlier. That was the sixth straight month of decrease.
Ministry officials say it has been rare in recent years to see a 2 percent rise in wages in September, when companies do not usually give out bonuses.
But they say real wages remain on the decline, as prices keep rising.