Business confidence of workers with jobs sensitive to economic trends worsened for the fourth consecutive month in November, the government said Wednesday.

The overall index of confidence among the so-called economy watchers on the current situation fell 1.1 points from October to 45.3, the Cabinet Office said in a monthly survey.

The diffusion index is based on whether respondents see conditions as improving or worsening in comparison with three months earlier.

A reading of 50 shows that respondents, including taxi and truck drivers, department store sales staff, and restaurant and shop owners, generally believe economic conditions are flat.

Assessing the latest survey, the Cabinet Office said weak movements are seen in Japan's economic recovery.

According to the breakdown of the survey, the index for household spending fell 0.5 point to 43.1, and for corporate activity, it fell 2.2 points to 46.0. The index for employment slipped to 58.4, down 2.9 points.

Looking ahead, the overall index for economic conditions in the coming few months fell 3 points to 45.8 for the seventh successive monthly drop.