Seoul: South Korea's household income rose for the fifth straight quarter in the third quarter of this year, driven by higher earned wage income amid favorable employment conditions, government data showed Thursday. The average income of households rose 4.4 percent on-year to 5.26 million won (US$3,768) per month in the July-September period, compared with 5.03 million won tallied a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. According to Yonhap News Agency, the data showed that household income has maintained an upward trend for five consecutive quarters, with growth accelerating from the 3.5 percent on-year increase observed in the second quarter. Income earned through wages went up 3.3 percent on-year in the third quarter to an average of 3.33 million won per month. The monthly average income from business operations inched up 0.3 percent to 987,000 won, and transfer income backed by state support gained 7.7 percent to 784,000 won. "Overall, income earned through wages has increased due to the growth in the number of wage earners, along with a rise in business and transfer income, which contributed to the overall increase in household income," Lee Ji-eun, a senior official at Statistics Korea, told a press briefing. Lee also noted that the agency's surveys and other related data indicate employment conditions remain "favorable." The real household income, adjusted for inflation, climbed 2.3 percent in the third quarter on a yearly basis, up from 0.8 percent on-year growth in the previous quarter. Monthly household spending climbed 3.5 percent on-year to 2.9 million won in the third quarter, as people spent more on housing and foodstuffs, among other items, amid high inflation. The monthly disposable income per household rose 5.5 percent to 4.19 million won. Households' average propensity to consume, measured by the percentage of consumption expenditures out of disposable income, went up 1.3 percentage points on-year to 69.4 percent in the third quarter, the data showed. The average monthly in come of the bottom 20 percent income bracket increased 5.4 percent on-year to 1.18 million won, the agency said. That of the people in the upper 20 percent group advanced 6.5 percent to an average of 11.54 million won per month.