Real Wages in Japan Up 1.9 Pct in Feb.

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan saw inflation-adjusted real wages increase 1.9 pct from a year earlier in February, the labor ministry reported Wednesday. The second straight monthly increase can be attributed to regular pay hikes and slower inflation. Before adjustment with the consumer price index excluding imputed rent, monthly wages at business establishments with five or more employees averaged 298,341 yen, up 3.3 pct, extending their uptrend to 50 months. Regular pay jumped 3.3 pct, the steepest rise since 3.9 pct in June 1992, while extraordinary pay including bonuses went up 7.1 pct. Nominal wages stood at 387,125 yen on average, up 3.9 pct, for full-time general workers and 108,802 yen, up 1.4 pct, for part-timers, whose hourly pay increased 4.2 pct to 1,443 yen. In the reporting month, the CPI’s growth slowed to 1.4 pct from 1.7 pct the month before. Internationally comparable real wages adjusted with the imputed rent-including CPI climbed 2.0 pct, up for the third straight month, the ministry added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]