TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's real wages in September fell 1.4 percent from a year earlier, marking the ninth straight month of decline, as pay hikes continued to lag behind persistent inflation, government data showed Thursday.

Nominal wages, or the average monthly cash earnings per worker including base and overtime pay, increased 1.9 percent to 297,145 yen ($1,900), rising for the 45th consecutive month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.

While nominal wages rose, consumer prices were up 3.4 percent in September due to higher food and energy costs, keeping real wages -- a key gauge of consumer purchasing power -- in negative territory.

A ministry official said the impact of the sharpest year-on-year increase in Japan's minimum pay, expected to take effect from October depending on prefecture, should be closely monitored.

The nationwide average hourly minimum wage has been raised by 66 yen to a record 1,121 yen for fiscal 2025 ending in March, up 6.3 percent from a year earlier.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in late October, has vowed to realize wage growth that outpaces inflation, saying her administration's top priority is tackling surging prices.

The Bank of Japan has also been closely watching wages, with Governor Kazuo Ueda saying the central bank needs to assess more data on domestic pay trends before deciding further interest rate hikes.