2026.02.0900:08:09UTC+00Japan Nominal Wage Growth Below Estimates

In December 2025, Japan experienced a year-on-year increase of 2.4% in nominal wages, an improvement from the revised 1.7% growth seen in November, although it fell short of the anticipated 3% growth expected by market analysts. This slight uptick in wage growth emerged at the year's end despite earlier deceleration, attributed largely to reduced one-off bonuses. Base salaries increased to 2.2% in December, up from 1.9% in the preceding month, and special payments showed a rise of 2.6%, compared to November's 1.5%. However, when adjusted for inflation, real wages—a crucial indicator of household purchasing power—decreased by 0.1% compared to the same month last year. This marks the 12th month in a row where real wages have contracted, as nominal wage increases have not quite kept pace with consumer inflation. This data provides limited insight into the Bank of Japan’s policy direction, given that officials have stated future monetary tightening hinges on consistent, widespread improvements in wage growth.