Domestic auto sales in the first half of this business year slumped to their lowest level in 34 years as rising unemployment and decade-high inflation sapped demand for new vehicles, an industry association said Wednesday.

Sales in the six months through September fell 2.9 percent to 1.54 million vehicles, the lowest since 1974, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said. The total excludes minicars.

Sales of cars, trucks and buses in September fell 5.3 percent to 310,992 from a year earlier.