Japan Eco Watchers Index Rises In July

(RTTNews) - A measure of the public assessment of the current situation of the Japanese economy improved less-than-expected in July, survey data from the Cabinet Office showed on Friday.

The current conditions index of the Economy Watchers' Survey rose to a 5-month high of 45.2 in July from 45.0 in June. The expected score was 45.5.

However, any score below 50 indicates pessimism.

Household-related activities rose by 0.4 points to 44.8, while the corporate activity-related measures dropped by 0.1 points to 46.0 due to the contraction in the non-manufacturing sector.

The outlook index that signals future activity also strengthened to 47.3 from 45.9 in the previous month, as both household and corporate activity-related conditions improved.