The coincident index of economic indicators fell for the first time in three months in August, the government said in a preliminary report Friday.

The coincident index, which reflects the current state of the economy based on industrial output, retail sales, new job offers and other factors, fell 0.1 point from the previous month to 112.0, against the 2010 base of 100, the Cabinet Office said.

The leading index, which predicts developments in the coming few months, rose 1.2 points to 101.2, while the lagging index, which measures economic performance in the recent past, rose 0.3 point to 113.4.

The government maintained its basic assessment of the coincident index as "pausing."