TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Retail sales in Japan lost 0.6 percent on year in June, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Tuesday - worth 11.351 trillion yen.
That missed forecasts for a decline of 0.5 percent following the 0.4 percent drop in May.
Sales from large retailers tumbled 1.8 percent on year to 1.632 trillion yen - also shy of expectations for a fall of 1.7 percent after losing 1.2 percent in the previous month.
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales dipped 0.4 percent - missing forecasts for a fall of 0.8 percent following the 4.6 percent plunge in May.
Wholesale sales were down 0.7 percent on year to 26.698 trillion yen in June, the data showed, after tumbling 1.3 percent in the previous month.
Commercial sales also dipped an annual 0.7 percent to 38.050 trillion yen after losing 1.0 percent on year a month earlier.
Also on Tuesday:
. The average of household spending in Japan was down 3.0 percent on year in June, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said - standing at 272,791 yen.
That beat forecasts for a decline of 3.9 percent following the 8.0 percent annual contraction in May.
The average of monthly income per household stood at 710,375 yen, down 6.6 percent on year.
The average of consumption expenditures per household was 295,738 yen, down 4.5 percent on year.
. The unemployment rate in Japan came in at a seasonally adjusted 3.7 percent in June, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. That missed forecasts for 3.5 percent, which would have been unchanged from the May reading.
The job-to-applicant ratio was 1.10 - exceeding expectations for 1.09, which also would have been unchanged.
The participation rate was steady at 59.9 percent.
The number of employed persons in June was 63.89 million, an increase of 560,000 or 0.9 percent on year.
The number of unemployed persons in June was 2.45 million, a decrease of 150,000 or 5.8 percent on year.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX