Wage Growth in Japan Declines for Fifth Straight Month

Real wages declined by 1.0% in May YoY, making it the fifth straight month of decline. April's readings were also revised down to -1.4%.


According to data released by the Japanese labor ministry, real wages declined by 1.0% in May YoY, making it the fifth straight month of decline. April’s readings were also revised down to -1.4%.

Total cash earnings also fell slightly by 0.2% YoY in May, from a revised 0.3% decline in the previous month. The bulk of monthly wages, consisting of regular pay, has also declined 0.6% YoY during May.

At first look, this data does not bode well for consumer spending in Japan, whose economy is already reeling under the effects of the trade war between US and China. However, earlier this year, the labor ministry has admitted to using faulty methods to calculate wage growth between 2004 and 2017, making it hard to gauge an exact trend in analyzing this data.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, USD/JPY continues to trade mostly unaffected by this data release. At the time of writing, this forex pair is trading at 108.86.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR See More
Arslan Butt
Index & Commodity Analyst
Arslan Butt serves as the Lead Commodities and Indices Analyst, bringing a wealth of expertise to the field. With an MBA in Behavioral Finance and active progress towards a Ph.D., Arslan possesses a deep understanding of market dynamics. His professional journey includes a significant role as a senior analyst at a leading brokerage firm, complementing his extensive experience as a market analyst and day trader. Adept in educating others, Arslan has a commendable track record as an instructor and public speaker. His incisive analyses, particularly within the realms of cryptocurrency and forex markets, are showcased across esteemed financial publications such as ForexCrunch, InsideBitcoins, and EconomyWatch, solidifying his reputation in the financial community.

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