Wages in Japan Up 1.3 Pct in Jan.

Tokyo, March 3 (Jiji Press)--Wages earned by workers in Japan in January rose 1.3 pct from a year before to 272,779 yen on average, increasing for the 11th straight month, the labor ministry said in a preliminary report Tuesday. But the price-adjusted real wage index fell 1.5 pct, falling for the 19th consecutive month. Regular wages rose 0.8 pct to 240,275 yen on average. Overtime pay grew 2.6 pct to 19,804 yen, while bonuses rose 10.8 pct to 12,700 yen. Wages for full-time workers increased 1.3 pct while those for part-time workers fell 0.1 pct. The report covered businesses with five or more employees. END