Increases in the cost of living outpaced annual earnings that rose for the first time in four years in 2014 as the Abe administration sought to reflate the economy.
Average earnings climbed 0.8 percent last year while pay, adjusted for inflation, fell 2.5 percent, the labor ministry said Wednesday.
Base wages excluding overtime and bonuses were unchanged in 2014, ending eight years of decline, preliminary data showed.
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