Japan Deflation Eases, Jobless Down; Recovery Intact

Japan’s deflation moderated and the unemployment rate fell, indicating the nation’s recovery remains intact as policy makers consider stimulus measures to protect the economy from a strengthening yen.

Consumer prices excluding fresh food slid 1 percent in August from a year earlier after falling 1.1 percent in July, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo. The jobless rate dropped to 5.1 percent from 5.2 percent, while the number of people no longer in the labor force increased, it said.