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Japan September household spending slumps amid bad weather

Reuters
Japan September household spending slumps amid bad weather

By Satoshi Sugiyama

TOKYO, Nov ‌10 (Reuters) - Japanese household spending fell more than expected in September from ​a ‌year earlier, government data showed on ‌Tuesday, marking a 10th straight month of decline.

• Consumer spending slumped 6.8% year-on-year, ‌data from the internal affairs ministry showed, more than the median market forecast for a 3.1% drop and marking the biggest fall ⁠since September 2020

• On a seasonally ‌adjusted month-on-month basis, spending ⁠declined 2.8% versus a forecast 0.3% uptick

• ​An internal affairs ministry official blamed the spending slump in September on poor ​weather conditions, which precluded people from ​going ‌out. In Tokyo, precipitation was recorded on ​every single day of the month ⁠for the first time in ‌history

• The ​indicator will be among ​factors the Bank of Japan will scrutinise as it decides whether to raise interest rates further. Many analysts expect the next ‌BOJ rate hike as soon as December

• Japan's real wages marked the ninth ‌consecutive ​month of gains in September, data issued last week showed, with nominal wages rising at the fastest pace since January 1997

(Reporting by ‌Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Jamie Freed)