Consumer sentiment highest in over 4 years

December 4, 2017

Tokyo- Japanese consumer sentiment rose to the highest level in four years and two months in November, on the back of strong corporate earnings and an improved employment situation, a government survey showed Monday.

The seasonally adjusted consumer confidence index rose 0.4 point from the previous month to 44.9, the highest level since September 2013, the Cabinet Office said. The index grew for the third straight month.

All four component indicators--those for overall livelihood, income growth, the jobs situation and willingness to buy durable goods--improved for the third consecutive month.

Consumer sentiment is picking up, the Cabinet Office said, keeping its assessment unchanged after an upward revision the previous month.

The survey also showed that the proportion of households expecting prices in Japan to be higher a year later increased 1.1 percentage points to 78.6. The share of respondents projecting prices will fall was unchanged at 3.7 percent. Jiji Press