Household spending fell for a fifth straight month and retail sales also dropped, underscoring the weakness in domestic demand. The jobless rate was the lowest since 1995.

Household spending fell 0.5 percent in July from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said on Tuesday.

Retail sales fell 0.2 percent from a year earlier, according to a trade ministry report. Compared with a month earlier, they rose 1.4 percent.