- Japanese unemployment edged up to 3.4% in August from 3.3% in July, which was the lowest since April 1997, with economists expecting the rate to hold steady. (PR)
- Job availability rose to its highest level since January 1992, with the job-to-applicants ratio increasing to 1.23 from 1.21 and vs consensus of 1.22%. The rise suggests that unemployment could fall in the coming months.
- Meanwhile, household spending recovered smartly to rise 2.9% in August after dropping 0.2% previously and soundly beat forecasts of +0.4%. (PR)
- However, inflation expectations at Japanese firms weakened, a Bank of Japan survey shows, with businesses expecting annual inflation on consumer products to reach around 1.2% in a year's time, down from the prior forecast of +1.4% in June. The BOJ's target, lest we forget, is 2%. (PR)
- The USD-JPY is +0.1% at 120.03 yen, while the Nikkei is flat at 17725.
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