Salaries extended the longest tumble since 2010, increasing pressure on household finances as inflation begins to take root.
Regular wages excluding overtime and bonuses fell 0.4 percent in October from a year earlier, a 17th straight monthly decline, according to labor ministry data released Tuesday. Total cash earnings rose 0.1 percent.
The slide in wages threatens living standards as consumers face the prospect of sustained inflation on top of a sales tax increase next April. As a weaker yen helps boost company profits, the focus is turning to salary talks early next year that may determine the success of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's bid to reflate the world's third-largest economy.