Japan real wages in April up for 4th month, longest rising streak in 5 yrs

TOKYO - Japan's real wages in April rose 1.9 percent from a year earlier, increasing for the fourth straight month in the longest positive streak since 2021, as companies offered higher pay to attract and retain talent, government data showed Friday.

Whether the uptrend will continue is under scrutiny as the Middle East conflict disrupts supplies of raw materials, hurting companies and adding inflationary pressure to retail and consumer prices. Separate data showed household spending edged down for the fifth straight month in April.