Japan Leading Index Confirmed at Over 12-Year High

2026-10-26 05:06 By Chusnul Chotimah 1 min. read

Japan’s leading economic index, which gauges the outlook for economic activity in the coming months using indicators such as job offers and consumer sentiment, rose to 118.0 in August 2026, matching the preliminary estimate and following a final reading of 117.6 in July.

It was the highest level since January 2014, supported by the government’s record fiscal budget, which included comprehensive measures to ease cost-of-living pressures and emergency energy support to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict.

Consumer confidence weakened slightly in August, remaining close to a six-month high, amid improved household views of income growth and employment prospects.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged up in August from July’s 12-month low, while employment increased by 300,000, pointing to resilient labor market conditions.

However, inflation in September was the highest since December 2025, while core inflation exceeded the BoJ’s 2% target for the first time in nine months.



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Japan Leading Index Confirmed at Over 12-Year High
Japan’s leading economic index, which gauges the outlook for economic activity in the coming months using indicators such as job offers and consumer sentiment, rose to 118.0 in August 2026, matching the preliminary estimate and following a final reading of 117.6 in July. It was the highest level since January 2014, supported by the government’s record fiscal budget, which included comprehensive measures to ease cost-of-living pressures and emergency energy support to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict. Consumer confidence weakened slightly in August, remaining close to a six-month high, amid improved household views of income growth and employment prospects. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged up in August from July’s 12-month low, while employment increased by 300,000, pointing to resilient labor market conditions. However, inflation in September was the highest since December 2025, while core inflation exceeded the BoJ’s 2% target for the first time in nine months.
2026-10-26
Japan Leading Index Highest Since 2014
Japan’s leading economic index, which gauges the outlook for economic activity in the coming months using indicators such as job offers and consumer sentiment, increased to 118.0 in August 2026 from a marginally revised 117.6 in July, slightly below expectations of 118.1, preliminary estimates showed. It was the highest level since January 2014, supported by the government’s record fiscal budget, which included comprehensive measures to ease cost-of-living pressures and emergency energy support to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict. However, inflation remained close to the BOJ’s 2% target. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged up from July’s 12-month low, while employment increased by 300,000, pointing to resilient labor market conditions. Consumer confidence weakened slightly, remaining close to a six-month high, amid households’ improved views of their income growth and employment prospects.
2026-10-07
Japan Leading Index Revised Slightly Downward
Japan’s leading economic index, which gauges the outlook for economic activity in the coming months using indicators such as job offers and consumer sentiment, was revised lower to 117.7 in July 2026 from a preliminary estimate of 117.9, after reaching 116.2 in June. Still, it was the highest level since January 2014, supported by the government’s record fiscal budget, which included comprehensive measures to ease cost-of-living pressures and emergency energy support to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict, while inflation remained close to the BOJ’s 2% target. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate declined to 2.4% in July, its lowest level since July 2025, pointing to resilient labor market conditions, although employment was at a four-month low. Consumer confidence also improved to a six-month high, amid households’ stronger views of their overall livelihood.
2026-09-29