Business confidence among workers with jobs sensitive to economic trends hit a record low in December amid weak individual consumption, slowing output and the uncertain future of employment conditions, the government said Tuesday.

The diffusion index of confidence in current economic conditions among so-called economy watchers, including shop clerks and taxi drivers, slid 5.1 points from November for the ninth straight month of fall to 15.9, the lowest since the government began releasing comparable data in August 2001, the Cabinet Office said.

The survey was carried out on 2,050 workers across the nation from Dec. 25 to 31 and drew responses from 1,840 of them, or 89.8 percent. A reading of 50 indicates those polled generally see economic conditions as flat. The latest index remained below the boom-or-bust line for 21 straight months.