Wages fell for the 11th month in a row in April, extending their longest losing streak in five years and indicating households will pare spending further in the coming months.
Monthly wages, including overtime and bonuses, dropped 2.5 percent from a year earlier after declining 3.9 percent in March, the fastest pace since July 2002, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Monday.
Tighter budgets and rising unemployment indicate households will hold back an economy showing signs of emerging from recession. Daiichi Kasei Co. and Toto Ltd. are among companies slashing salaries even as exports and production begin to stabilize.