Japan real wages rise 1.0%, up for 3rd straight month on corporate efforts

TOKYO - Japan's real wages in March rose 1.0 percent from a year earlier for the third straight monthly increase, reflecting firms' robust profits and their efforts to offer competitive salaries to retain talent, despite slowing from the previous month, government data showed Friday.

Nominal wages, or the average monthly cash earnings per worker including base and overtime pay, were up 2.7 percent at 317,254 yen ($2,000), increasing for the 51st consecutive month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.