The average nonscheduled wage a worker earned in October, including overtime pay, fell for the first time in 14 months, reflecting a slowdown in the global economy and sluggish production activities, the government said Tuesday.
The average nonscheduled wage in the reporting month decreased 2.3 percent from a year earlier to ¥18,460, while average overtime hours fell 4.0 percent to 10.2 hours, down for the second consecutive month, with the automotive industry recording a 15.3 percent plunge to 18 hours, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.
"The data reflect a slowdown in the global economy as well as continued stagnation of the manufacturing sector in the aftermath of the boycott of Japanese products in China" amid a territorial row over the Japanese-administered, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a ministry official said.
The average overall monthly wage in all sectors rose 0.2 percent to ¥268,451, up for the first time in six months, mainly since the reporting month had two more weekdays than the corresponding month last year.