Japan Consumer Prices Fall for 17th Straight Month

Japan says its consumer prices fell for the 17th straight month in July, as deflation kept a tight grip on the economy.

The country’s core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, fell 1.1 percent from a year earlier. The decline stems from sharply lower prices for education and household goods.

Meanwhile, the nation’s unemployment rate improved to 5.2 percent from 5.3 percent in June, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The result marked the first decline since January.

TOKYO (AP)