Tokyo CNN —Japan is grappling with the biggest drop in living standards in nearly a decade as inflation continues to soar. Japan saw a 3.8% year-on-year fall in inflation-adjusted wages in November, data published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed. It’s the biggest fall since May 2014, when a consumption tax hike at the time caused a 4.1% decline, according to data published by the ministry. Companies must generate profits and then properly distribute them to workers,” Kishida said Thursday while speaking at a New Year gathering hosted by Japan’s three major business lobbies. Wages in Japan have largely hovered at the same level over the last decade, according to the latest data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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