Japan saw a modest improvement in labor cash earnings in labor cash earnings, which increased by 1.0% yoy, accelerating from November’s 0.7% gain. Despite this uptick, the growth fell short of anticipated 1.3% yoy.
A notable positive development was observed in regular pay, which rose by 1.6% yoy, marking the highest reading since May 2023. Additionally, special payments saw a marginal increase of 0.5% yoy, although overtime pay experienced a decline of -0.7% yoy.
With CPI standing at 3.0% yoy, real wages saw a decline of -1.9% yoy, albeit at a slower pace compared to -2.5% yoy observed in the previous month. This marks the slowest decline in real wages since June 2023, suggesting a slight easing in the pressure on household incomes.
However, this positive note is tempered by the latest household spending figures, which saw a -2.5% yoy drop, worse than the expected -2.1% yoy.
