Japan: Consumer sentiment turns less pessimistic in September
Consumer confidence came in at 37.8 in September, up from August’s 36.7 and thus marking a 19-month high. Nevertheless, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold, signaling that consumers remained deeply pessimistic in September.
The overall improvement reflected a broad-based increase in sentiment: Consumers became less pessimistic regarding overall livelihood, income growth and employment opportunities in the coming six months, while willingness to buy durable goods improved marginally in September compared with the prior month’s survey.