The business confidence of workers with jobs sensitive to economic trends improved in July, due partly to brisk retail sales spurred by sweltering summer temperatures and the Athens Olympics, the government said Monday.
The diffusion index of confidence among so-called economy watchers gained 2.9 points from June to 54.3 after a fall of 1.4 points in June, the Cabinet Office said in a monthly survey.
The index is based on whether respondents see economic conditions as improving or worsening in comparison with three months earlier. A reading of 50 shows that respondents generally believe economic conditions are flat.