Japan: Consumer sentiment turns more pessimistic in August
Consumer confidence came in at 36.7 in August, down from July’s 37.5 which had marked a 17-month high. As a result, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold, signaling that consumers remained deeply pessimistic in August.
The overall deterioration reflected a broad-based fall in sentiment: Consumers became more pessimistic regarding overall livelihood, income growth and employment opportunities in the coming six months, while willingness to buy durable goods decreased in July marginally compared with the prior month’s survey.