Japan: Consumer confidence inches up in July
The consumer confidence index came in at 29.5 in July, up from June’s 28.4. As a result, the index—which measures consumer expectations about the economy for the next six months—moved closer to, but remained well below, the 50.0-threshold, which separates pessimism from optimism among consumers.
The headline print reflected an improvement in consumers’ assessments of employment opportunities and future income. Moreover, consumers became slightly more willing to make durable goods purchases.