0302 GMT - Japan's inflation-adjusted wages rose 0.5% in July from a year earlier, turning positive for the first time in seven months, but Moody's Analytics economist Stefan Angrick cautions against taking the figure at face value. "The only reason reported real wages grew in July is because of sample distortions," he says. "The reality is that inflation is still outpacing wage growth." With sticky inflation and sluggish wage trends, the Bank of Japan's job will get harder, he adds. Angrick expects the BOJ to raise interest rates to 0.75% in January from the current 0.5%.(megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 04, 2025 23:02 ET (03:02 GMT)

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