May 09, Kathmandu- Japan's real wages fell 2.1 percent from a year earlier, the third straight monthly decline.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said, "The decline in inflation-adjusted real wages, a barometer of consumer purchasing power, followed a revised 1.5 percent decline in February and a 2.8 percent decline in January."

The ministry said consumer prices, which include fresh food prices but exclude rent, rose 4.2 percent in March from a year earlier. The rise, driven by rising food costs, was slightly lower than the 4.3 percent increase in February.

The average monthly cash income per worker, including wages and bonuses, rose 2.1 percent to 3.08 million yen (about $2,100), the 39th consecutive month of growth.

Regular wages, or base pay, rose 1.3 percent in March, while overtime pay, an indicator of corporate activity, fell 1.1 percent.