Japan: Consumer sentiment jumps in October, remains deeply pessimistic
Consumer confidence came in at 39.2 in October, up from September’s 37.8 and thus marking a 20-month high. Nevertheless, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold, signaling that consumers remained deeply pessimistic in October.
The overall improvement belied divergent perceptions: Consumers became markedly less pessimistic regarding income growth and employment opportunities in the coming six months, but grew more pessimistic regarding overall livelihood, while willingness to buy durable goods deteriorated marginally in October compared with the prior month’s survey.