Japan: Consumer sentiment remains deeply pessimistic in November
Consumer confidence came in at 39.2 in November, matching October’s reading which had marked a 20-month high. Nevertheless, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold, signaling that consumers remained deeply pessimistic in November.
The overall unchanged reading belied divergent perceptions: Consumers became slightly 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 November compared with the prior month’s survey.