Japan: Consumer sentiment remains deeply pessimistic in December
Consumer confidence came in at 39.1 in December, inching lower from November’s 39.2 reading which had marked the joint-highest print in 20 months. As such, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold, signaling that consumers remained deeply pessimistic in December.
The overall decline belied divergent perceptions: Consumers grew more pessimistic regarding employment opportunities in the coming six months, but became slightly less pessimistic regarding income growth and their overall livelihood, while willingness to buy durable goods remained the same in December compared with the prior month’s survey.