The nation's household spending fell for the eighth straight month and the jobless rate remained flat in October, posing persistent challenges for the government's efforts to spur growth momentum in the economy, government data showed Tuesday.
Household spending, a key indicator of private consumption, dropped a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in October from a year earlier to ¥281,961 ($2,522), indicating that consumers remain reluctant to spend, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The unemployment rate stood at 3.0 percent, unchanged from September. The country's job availability improved to 1.40 — or 140 positions available for every 100 job seekers — in October, the best level since August 1991, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.