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Consumer confidence index inches up in January

According to data released Friday by the Cabinet Office, Japan’s Consumer Confidence Index rose to 39.0 in January, up from 37.6 in in December. January’s rise, however, did not make up for the drop seen in December, as the index remained below the 39.5 level seen in November 2009.

The consumer confidence index itself contains five scores, each of which is considered positive when above 50, and pessimistic when below the 50 mark. Here’s a breakdown for January figures, with the change from the previous month: Read more

News roundup, Thursday October 1: Wages, Tankan, Nikkei, Disney, auto sales and more

According to a report released yesterday by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, average wages at Japanese firms with five or more workers fell 3.1% in August, to 273,360 yen. August was the fifteenth straight month of decline in wages, and overtime pay dropped 13.4% to 16,259 yen. The industry with the highest average pay was “electricity, gas, heat supply and water,” at 452,968 yen, while workers in the food services industry came in lowest, with an average of 129,169 yen.

In a separate report released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, it was announced that retail sales fell 1.8% in August, showing a decline for the twelfth month in a row. Read more

Japan core CPI falls at record pace for fourth month in August

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced that Japan’s consumer price index had fallen 2.2% in August, while core consumer prices (excluding fresh food) tumbled a record 2.4%. Core CPI has now fallen at a record pace for four consecutive months.

As Japan includes energy prices as part of its core CPI, it’s always helpful to look at what the CPI looks like with energy stripped out. Here is a breakdown of CPI categories for August: Read more

Japan Consumer Confidence up for eighth straight month in August

According to data released Friday by the Cabinet Office, Japan’s Consumer Confidence Index rose to 40.1 in August, up from 39.4 in July. August was the eighth consecutive month in which the consumer confidence index has shown a rise.

The consumer confidence index itself contains five scores, each of which is considered positive when above 50, and pessimistic when below the 50 mark. The overall score of 40.1 represents the first time since October 2007 that the index has come in above 40 points. Here’s a breakdown for August figures, with the change from the previous month: Read more

Construction orders down a record 44.9% in July

According to data released Thursday by the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors, construction orders received in July by its 49 member firms dropped a record 44.9% year-on-year to 593.2 billion yen. July was the ninth consecutive month in which construction orders have fallen, and the second month in a row in which they have set a new record low.

According to the report, private sector orders fell 49.7% to 409.5 billion yen. Meanwhile, orders from non-manufacturing firms dropped 52% to 279.5 billion yen while orders from manufacturers slid 44.2% to 130 billion yen.

Department stores, convenience stores see sales slide further in July

Japan’s department stores and convenience stores have little to feel positive about after July sales results rolled in. According to data released by the Japan Department Store Association, sales at department stores nationwide fell 11.7% in July, marking the seventeenth consecutive month of decline. The survey covered sales at 87 department store operators with 272 shops.

Here is the breakdown of sales by individual categories: Read more

Cabinet Office: Economy Watchers Survey up for seventh straight month in July

Earlier today, the Cabinet Office released the results of its monthly Economy Watchers Survey, and the results showed a 0.2 point increase to 42.4 points.

The Economy Watchers survey is measured as an index with a score above 50 indicating a positive view of the economy and a score below 50 representing a pessimistic overall view. The survey measures sentiment amongst taxi drivers, restaurant staff, barbers, and other service industry workers sensitive to frontline economic conditions. The index itself has now been below the 50 mark for the past 27 months. Read more

Unemployment by region in Japan

Over at the Mutantfrog Travelogue, Curzon takes a look at unemployment by prefecture in Japan. While some of the results are unsurprising, such as Okinawa having the highest unemployment rate, other results seem to raise the eyebrows - I never would have guessed that Shimane has the lowest unemployment rate in Japan. The original map, with unemployment listings by prefecture in Japanese, can be found at Maps of Japan.

Japan’s consumer confidence rises for sixth straight month in June

After bottoming out at 26.2 in December, Japan’s Consumer Confidence Index has slowly been creeping upward over the past six months. According to data released by the Cabinet Office today, the Consumer Confidence Index reached 37.6 points in June, up from 35.7 in May. This is the highest reading seen since December 2008, and the index has now risen for six straight months.

The consumer confidence index itself contains five scores, each of which is considered positive when above 50, and pessimistic when below the 50 mark. Here’s a breakdown for June figures, with the change from the previous month: Read more

Core machinery orders at record lows, bankruptcies still soaring

Earlier today, the Cabinet Office announced that core machinery orders in Japan fell 3.0% in May, to 668.2 billion yen. Although this is less than the 5.8% drop seen in April, it still means that machinery orders have fallen to a new all-time low. May was the third month in a row that core machinery orders have fallen.

Clearly, the Japanese economy is not performing as many expect it to, as Nikkei and Dow Jones polls of economists had predicted a 2.0% rise in May core machinery orders. Capital spending still appears to have no predicatoable recovery date in sight, and the figures announced today are going to have a further negative pull on Japan’s second quarter GDP figures. Read more

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