The average Japanese worker got a 4.4%...

The average Japanese worker got a 4.4% pay raise in 1988, or about $75 more each month, according to the Labor Ministry. A ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the gain was higher than last year’s 3.6%, the lowest since the annual wage survey began in 1965. The highest was 29.3% in 1974. The official attributed the rise to recovery from a business slump last year triggered by the yen’s rapid appreciation against the U.S. dollar. The higher yen makes Japanese goods more expensive abroad, hurting companies heavily dependent on exports.