The key gauge of Japan's economic health fell 2.8 points in November, the government announced Friday.
The composite index of coincident economic indicators came in at 94.9 against the 2005 base of 100 compared with October, the Cabinet Office said in the preliminary report. That compares with an average drop of 3.1 points forecast by the market in a Kyodo News survey.
The CI number is derived from figures for industrial production, large-lot electricity use, overtime at manufacturers, wholesale and retail sales, the ratio of job offers to job seekers, and other indicators.
The index of leading indicators, which predicts developments over several months, came to 81.5, down 3.7 points. The index of lagging indicators, which measures economic performance in the recent past, stood at 97.6, down 0.6 point.