Japan’s August Small Business Confidence Index made a slight gain to 41.8 from 41.1 in July. Confidence in non-manufacturing led the index higher as the component rose from 41.0 to 42.8 in August, while confidence in manufacturing sector slipped from 41.1 in July to 40.4 in August. Confidence level for September is expected to rise at a slow rate and is likely to hold below the 50 point level, foreshadowing a slow path to recovery as the domestic economy remains weak. In the September forecast, general and electrical machinery are projected to rise from 37 and 39 to 43 and 51, respectively but on the other hand, confidence levels in the services sector are expected to decline to 44.5 from 46.8 in August as households scale back on consumption.