Consumer Spending: Percent and Inflation

consumer spending: The labor market is tight and business confidence is strong, according to The Japan Times. But consumer spending remains tepid and the Bank of Japan has struggled to lift inflation despite years of aggressive monetary easing. The country's prospects have been improving on the back of strong exports, with investments linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics also giving the economy a shot in the arm. After stripping out the volatile cost of fresh food, the inflation rate came in at 0.3 percent, the fourth consecutive monthly rise after a 0.2 percent increase in both March and February and a 0.1 percent rise in January. Friday's figures are still far from the Bank of Japan's 2.0 percent inflation target seen as crucial to conquering the nation's long struggle to slay deflation, blamed for holding back the once-booming economy. Excluding fresh food and energy, however, prices stayed flat, following a 0.1 percent fall in March and 0.1 percent rise in February, according to the internal affairs ministry. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.