TOKYO, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Japan's average monthly wages in inflation-adjusted terms stayed flat year on year in October amid slower inflation and minimum wage hikes, official data showed on Friday.
Inflation-adjusted real wages, a barometer of consumer purchasing power, had turned positive in June for the first time in 27 months but slipped back into negative territory in August and September before stabilizing in October, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Total monthly cash earnings per worker, reflecting nominal wages, rose 2.6 percent to 293,401 yen (about 1,956 U.S. dollars). Within this, scheduled wages, mainly base pay, increased 2.7 percent, the highest growth in 31 years and 11 months.
Consumer price index (CPI) in October, excluding owner-occupied housing rents, grew 2.6 percent, down from 2.9 percent in September, helped by government subsidies for electricity and gas bills.
The ministry noted that while strong wage growth, partly driven by spring wage negotiations, persists, surging prices remain a challenge. With minimum wage hikes implemented in October, the ministry emphasized the importance of monitoring inflation and future wage trends closely. ■
