Tokyo area new apartment supply down for 22nd month

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - New apartments put up for sale in the Tokyo area totalled 3,080 in June, down 23 percent from a year earlier and falling for the 22nd straight month, a property market research firm said on Tuesday.

The contract ratio in the Tokyo metropolitan area in June was 70.2 percent, compared with from 70.4 percent in May, the Real Estate Economic Institute said.

The ratio, the number of units sold as a percentage of units put on the market, is used to judge the market's health and a ratio below 70 suggests a weak market where consumers are reluctant to buy. (Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Chris Gallagher)