Japan’s Real Wages Rise Most Since 2021 to Keep BOJ on Hike Path

Japanese workers’ wages adjusted for inflation rose at the fastest pace since 2021, backing the case for the Bank of Japan to consider a rate hike as soon as this month.

Real wages increased 1.9% from a year earlier in February, marking a second straight monthly gain, the labor ministry reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 1.3% increase. Nominal wages climbed 3.3%, beating the consensus estimate of 2.7%.