Japan Real Wage Index Down 2.1 Pct in March

   Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan's inflation-adjusted real wage index in March fell 2.1 pct from a year before, down for the third straight month, the labor ministry said Friday.
   The pace of decline accelerated from February's 1.5 pct. Wage growth remained slower than inflation, while higher rice and other food prices continued to batter households.
   Nominal wages per worker, including base salary and overtime, climbed 2.1 pct, up for the 39th consecutive month, according to preliminary data covering businesses with five or more employees.
   However, the consumer price index excluding imputed rent, used to calculate the real wage index, rose 4.2 pct, outpacing the wage growth.
   This time, the ministry started releasing a real wage index calculated for international comparison using the overall CPI, which includes imputed rent. This wage index fell 1.5 pct, down for the third consecutive month, weaker than similar indicators in the United States, Britain and Germany.

(2025/05/09-10:56)