TOKYO: Japan's coincident indicator index fell for the second straight month in December, the Cabinet Office said on Friday, and a COVID-19 state of emergency in areas including Tokyo threatens to weigh on economic growth.

The index of coincident economic indicators, which consists of a range of data including factory output, employment and retail sales, lost a preliminary 1.2 points from the previous month to 87.8 in December, the Cabinet Office said.

The index of leading economic indicators, which is a gauge of the economy a few months ahead and is compiled using data such as job offers and consumer sentiment, also slipped 1.2 points, to 94.9, dropping for the first time in seven months.