Japanese wage earners' total cash earnings fell for the first time in nine months in November and real wages fell for the 17th month running, highlighting the task Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces to revive the economy. Officials said the 1.5 per cent annual drop in total cash earnings was partly due to the labour ministry compiling the data earlier than usual, meaning it fails to fully reflect overtime pay and special pay. Still, real wages adjusted for inflation fell 4.3 per cent year-on-year last month - down for the 17th straight month and marking the steepest drop since December 2009 - in a blow to Abe's ... (full story)