In brief
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released preliminary data showing real wages up 2.2 % year‑on‑year in September, the ninth straight month of growth. The increase mirrors pay hikes from spring labor talks and a slowdown in inflation, with nominal wages rising 4.6 % to an average of 311,409 yen. Consumer prices rose 2.4 % in the month. The news comes after a twelve‑month decline in real wages during 2025.
Japan’s inflation‑adjusted real wages rose 2.2 percent in September, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on Friday, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth.
The climb reflects pay hikes secured in this year’s spring labor negotiations and a slower pace of inflation, the ministry said. Nominal wages, measured by total cash earnings including base pay, overtime and special payments, climbed 4.6 percent to an average of 311,409 yen (about 1,973 U.S. dollars) per worker.
Consumer prices, used to calculate real wages, rose 2.4 percent in September, down from 3.4 percent a year earlier. The gains follow a 12‑month stretch of declining real wages from January to December 2025.
Tokyo, Nov. 6 (Jiji Press) reported that the real wage index rose 2.2 percent, mirroring the Xinhua report and confirming the ministry’s figures.
