The Japanese government maintains its assessment that the economy is “recovering at a moderate pace”, but with a of caution with the observation that the recovery “recently appears to be pausing.”
A critical shift noted in the Monthly Economic Report concerns private consumption, which has been downgraded from “picking up” to “pausing for picking up.” Additionally, while there was optimism surrounding industrial production, the report highlights a recent decline in manufacturing activities attributed to production and shipment suspensions by some automotive manufacturers.
The report maintains unchanged assessments in several other economic indicators. Business investment and exports, similar to private consumption and industrial production, are described as “pausing for picking up.”
On a positive note, corporate profits are reported to be improving overall, and firms’ judgments on current business conditions are becoming more favorable.
Additionally, employment situation is showing signs of improvement. Consumer prices, meanwhile, continue to rise “moderately”.