The number of workers on regular payrolls rose 0.4 percent in April from a year earlier to 42.86 million, marking the first increase in six years, the government said Tuesday.

Workers' average monthly wage increased for the first time in 10 months, up 0.3 percent to 280,746 yen, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said in a preliminary report covering workplaces with a labor force of five or more.

Companies that could not make up for labor shortages even by increasing overtime hours moved to recruit workers, contributing to the increase in regular payrolls in the reporting month, ministry officials said.