The Japanese government has decided to raise the standard daily wage for workers on public projects by 5.2 percent, starting next month. This comes as a range of industries increase their pay to keep up with rising prices.

Japanese Infrastructure Minister Saito Tetsuo said, "The public and private sectors will continue working together to further promote efforts to maintain a virtuous cycle leading to rising wages of technical workers."

The infrastructure ministry says the nationwide standard average daily wage will be 22,227 yen, or about 170 dollars.

That's up for the 11th straight year, and the first rise in nine years above 5 percent.

Ministry officials say this reflects rising pay in a construction industry facing a shortage of workers.