Japan Sept economy watchers' index up 0.8 pts from Aug, 2nd straight rise

The economy watchers' index, which reflects the perceptions of workers with jobs sensitive to economic trends, rose in September for the second straight month after emerging out of four straight monthly declines in August, the Cabinet Office said. The index for current conditions rose to 51.0 in September, up 0.8 points from August, staying above the boom-or-bust line of 50 for the second straight month. A reading above 50 shows that most respondents believed conditions were improving. The index gauges whether respondents with jobs most sensitive to economic conditions --- taxi and truck drivers, department store sales staff, and restaurant and shop owners -- believe economic conditions were better or worse than they were three months before. The forward-looking index, which measures expectations for economic conditions in subsequent months, was up 1.3 points in September at 52.8, rising for the second straight month. This index also stayed above the 50-point mark for two months in row, after having fallen below this level in July for the first time in 16 months.