Gross wages rose 8.6% in September from a year earlier, after an increase of 7.8% in August. Nine analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires prior to the data release had forecast the September reading at 9.2%. Real or inflation-adjusted wages fell 5.6% in the first nine months of the year after a decline of 6.3% in the first eight months of 2007, while inflation was 8.3% in the January-September period. (fxstreet)