TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's real wages fell 0.1 percent in September from a year earlier, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, as pay growth failed to keep pace with higher prices, government data showed Thursday.

But inflation-adjusted wages at workplaces with five or more employees decreased at a slower rate, easing from a 0.8 percent drop in August, as the resumption of government subsidies for utility bills helped lower core consumer prices, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.

Real wages -- a barometer of consumer purchasing power -- at workplaces with 30 people or more rose 0.6 percent, following a 0.4 percent fall in August. A ministry official, however, said, "Prices are likely to rise again once the subsidies end."

Nominal wages, or the average total monthly cash earnings per worker including base and overtime pay, increased 2.8 percent to 292,551 yen ($1,890), up for the 33rd straight month, according to the ministry.

Excluding bonuses and nonscheduled payments, average wages climbed 2.6 percent to 264,194 yen, the biggest rise in nearly 32 years. In contrast, overtime and other allowances were down 0.4 percent at 19,164 yen, the data showed.

Average monthly nominal wages grew 2.6 percent to 372,881 yen for full-time workers and 1.8 percent to 106,903 yen for part-time workers.

The ministry estimates consumer prices, used for the salary data, increased 2.9 percent in September, compared with 3.5 percent in August.

The government reinstated subsidies for electricity and gas used between August and October to support households struggling with rising energy bills against a backdrop of hot weather.

Japan's real wages fell for a record 26th consecutive month in May. Although they turned positive in the two months through July, they slid in August as a boost from summer bonuses waned.