Contact Mace News President
Tony Mace tony@macenews.com
to find a customer- and markets-oriented brand of news coverage with a level of individualized service unique to the industry. A market participant told us he believes he has his own White House correspondent as Mace News provides breaking news and/or audio feeds, stories, savvy analysis, photos and headlines delivered how you want them. And more. And this is important because you won’t get it anywhere else. That’s MICRONEWS. We know how important to you are the short advisories on what’s coming up, whether briefings, statements, unexpected changes in schedules and calendars and anything else that piques our interest.
No matter the area being covered, the reporter is always only a telephone call or message away. We check with you frequently to see how we can improve. Have a question, need to be briefed via video or audio-only on a topic’s state of play, keep us on speed dial. See the list of interest areas we cover elsewhere
on this site.
—
You can have two weeks reduced price no-obligation trial for $199. No self-renewing contracts. Suspend, renew coverage at any time. Stay with a topic like trade while it’s hot and suspend coverage or switch coverage areas when it’s not. We serve customers one by one, 24/7.
—
Tony Mace was the top editorial executive for Market News
International for two decades.
Washington Bureau Chief Denny Gulino had the same title at Market News for 18 years.
Similar experience undergirds our service in Ottawa, London, Brussels and in Asia.
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Friday, May 29, 2026
0830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, May 28) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases April jobs.
Mace News median: 2.7% (range: 2.6% to 2.7%)vs. 2.7% in March after posting 2.6% in February.
By Chikafumi Hodo
TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is expected to be little changed in April from the previous month as underlying labor market conditions remain firm amid persistent worker shortages, particularly in the hotel and food services sectors, supporting employment in recent months.
The April unemployment rate is seen unchanged at 2.7% from March. The number of employed persons in March rose for a second straight month, gaining 30,000 from a year earlier to 67.73 million. The number of unemployed persons stood at 1.94 million, up 140,000 from a year earlier and marking an eighth consecutive monthly increase.
By reason for seeking work, compared with a year earlier, the number of people leaving jobs due to employer or business circumstances increased by 30,000, while voluntary resignations rose by 50,000 and the number of people newly seeking jobs increased by 110,000. The strength of the labor market may be contributing to increases in voluntary job changes and new job seekers, suggesting the details were not entirely negative.
Friday, May 29, 2026
0830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, May 28) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases May Tokyo CPI.
Mace News median: total CPI +1.6% y/y (range: +1.5% to +1.7%) vs. Apr +1.5%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +1.5% (range: +1.4% to +1.7%) vs. Apr +1.5%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh food, energy) +1.9% (range: +1.6% to +2.0%) vs. Apr +1.9%
By Chikafumi Hodo
TOKYO (MaceNews) – Consumer inflation in Tokyo, a leading indicator of the national trend, is forecast to be little changed on the year in May from a month earlier, but key measures are expected to remain below or near the Bank of Japan’s 2% inflation target.
Tokyo’s consumer price index is expected to present a mixed picture in May amid the expiration of government subsidies for gas and electricity and higher taxi fares introduced in late April. There were also signs that apartment rents rose during the month, which marks the start of Japan’s financial year. Still, easing energy and food prices likely capped inflation gains in the capital. The government also continued emergency subsidies aimed at keeping gasoline prices around ¥170 per liter.
In April, all three key CPI measures fell below the BOJ’s 2% target for the first time since October 2024, and the underlying slowdown in prices is expected to persist this month.
The core CPI, which excludes fresh food, is expected to rise 1.5% from a year earlier in May, unchanged from April, the lowest reading since March 2022. The overall CPI is forecast to rise 1.6%, up from a 1.5% rise in April. The core-core index, which excludes both fresh food and energy, is expected to increase 1.9%, unchanged from April when it hit its lowest level since February 2025.
Friday, May 29, 2026
0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Wednesday, May 28) The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry releases April, and the outlook for May and June.
Mace News median: -1.0% m/m (range: -2.2% to -0.4%) vs. Mar. revised to -0.4% from -0.5%; +0.6% y/y (range: -0.5% to +2.3%) vs. Mar. revised to +2.4% from +2.3%
By Chikafumi Hodo
TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japanese Japan’s industrial production is likely to fall for a third straight month in April as war in the Middle East increasingly prompts shortages of some raw materials, including oil- and chemical-related products. The situation may be restraining output in downstream industries such as transport equipment and business-oriented machinery.
In addition, the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are stretching supplies of naphtha cracked from light (low-sulfur) crude oil, a source of ethylene, propylene and benzene, among other petrochemicals. These materials are essential for producing plastics and resins used in a wide range of consumer and industrial goods, from vehicles and appliances to paints and food packaging.
For instance, due to raw material shortages and naphtha supply disruptions caused by tensions in the Middle East, major Japanese snack maker Calbee Inc. is shifting many of its flagship products to simplified black-and-white packaging. The temporary design change is intended to ensure steady product supplies while conserving petroleum-derived printing ink. These kinds of moves are gradually spreading across many industries.
Industrial production in April is expected to fall 1.0% on the month, following a revised 0.4% decline in March.
Meanwhile, output is expected to rise for a fifth straight month on the year in April, up 0.6% after a revised 2.3% gain in March from the initial 2.4% increase.
In the previous survey released in late April, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) maintained its assessment that industrial output was “taking one step forward and one step back.” The last revision to the assessment came in the July 2024 report, when the ministry upgraded its view.
METI is scheduled to release its production forecasts for May and June, which could provide insight into whether uncertainty surrounding the Middle East situation is affecting the production outlook. In the previous survey, the ministry’s forecast index showed April industrial production was expected to fall 0.7% on the month after adjustment for upward bias, while May output was projected to rise 2.2%.
–Long Global Semiconductors Seen as Most Crowded Trade By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global fund managers sharply reduced cash and dove into equities
0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Wednesday, May 21) The Ministry of Finance releases April trade.Mace News median: exports +9.4% y/y (range: +8.5% to +10.0%) vs.
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The first quarter GDP data is expected to show the
– Schmid: Inflation ‘Most Pressing Risk To The Economy’ – Hammack: FOMC Must Make ‘Tough Tradeoffs” to Guarantee Low Inflation By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews)
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s real gross domestic product is projected to post a second consecutive quarter of growth in January-March, supported by
Friday, May 15, 2026 0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Thursday, May 14) The Bank of Japan releases the April corporate goods price index.Mace News median:
Tuesday, May 12, 20260830 JST (2350 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, May 11) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases the February average household spending.Mace News
–Household Spending Seen Sluggish amid Rising Costs, Producer Inflation Accelerating on Mideast Conflict By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for
Contact Mace News President
Tony Mace tony@macenews.com
to find a customer- and markets-oriented brand of news coverage with a level of individualized service unique to the industry. A market participant told us he believes he has his own White House correspondent as Mace News provides breaking news and/or audio feeds, stories, savvy analysis, photos and headlines delivered how you want them. And more. And this is important because you won’t get it anywhere else. That’s MICRONEWS. We know how important to you are the short advisories on what’s coming up, whether briefings, statements, unexpected changes in schedules and calendars and anything else that piques our interest.
No matter the area being covered, the reporter is always only a telephone call or message away. We check with you frequently to see how we can improve. Have a question, need to be briefed via video or audio-only on a topic’s state of play, keep us on speed dial. See the list of interest areas we cover elsewhere
on this site.
—
You can have two weeks reduced price no-obligation trial for $199. No self-renewing contracts. Suspend, renew coverage at any time. Stay with a topic like trade while its hot and suspend coverage or switch coverage areas when it’s not. We serve customers one by one 24/7.
—
Tony Mace was the top editorial executive for Market News International for two decades.
Washington Bureau Chief Denny Gulino had the same title at Market News for 18 years.
Similar experience undergirds our service in Ottawa, London, Brussels and in Asia.
