Japan's monthly wages down for 18th straight month

Inflation-adjusted monthly wages in Japan fell 1.4 per cent in December, marking the 18th consecutive month of declines despite improved corporate earnings, the government said Wednesday.
The figure followed a 2.7-per-cent fall in November and a 3.0-per-cent decline in October, Japan's Labour Ministry said in a preliminary report.
The nation's average monthly wages dropped sharply after the government raised sales tax to 8 per cent in April from 5 per cent.
For 2014, average monthly wages were down 2.5 per cent, the second-largest decline after a 2.6-per-cent fall in 2009, amid an upturn in inflation due to the tax increase and aggressive monetary easing steps introduced by the Bank of Japan, the ministry said.