Japan May Jobless Rate Ticks Up from April but Job Growth Up on Year
–Numbers of Lost Jobs, People Looking for Other Openings Both Up from April –May Unemployment at 2.6%, Up from April’s 2-Year Low Level of 2.5% By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese payrolls posted the second straight increase from year-earlier levels in May as Covid restrictions were eased in late March, but materials, parts and products […]
Japan May Industrial Output Plunges as China Covid Lockdowns Worsen Supply Bottlenecks
–METI: June Output Likely to Rebound but Not Enough to Offset May Drop–May Index of Industrial Production Hits Lowest Level Since August 2020 –METI Downgrades View for 2nd Straight Month: Output Weaker Vs. Pausing –METI Repeats: To Watch Effects of Pandemic, Parts Shortages, Inflation, Ukraine War By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production posted […]
Japan May Retail Sales Post 3rd Straight Rise on Eased Covid Rules, Hot Weather 
–METI Upgrades View: Retail Sales Picking Up Gradually Vs. Showing Signs of Pickup –Department Store Sales Surge; Summer Clothing Up on Heat Wave –High Fuel Costs Prop Up Retail Sales; Supply Delays Keep Auto Sales Down By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese retail sales posted the third straight rise in May both on the year […]
Preview: BOJ June Tankan Sentiment Mixed; Manufacturers Down, Services Up
–Covid Lockdowns in China, High Producer Costs Weigh on Factory Operators –Services Seen Upbeat on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules, Summer Spending Hopes –Business Confidence Projected to Improve in September Amid Uncertainty –Firms, Large and Small, Expected to Revise Up Their Combined FY22 Capex Plans By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan […]
BOJ June Meeting Summary: Need Easing for Stable 2% Inflation, Wage Hikes
–Board Members See Uncertainty from China’s Covid Policy, Other Risks–Members Note Pickup in Service Sector on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members argued that continued monetary easing is necessary to anchor 2% inflation in a “stable” manner, and to achieve that goal, fiscal support and labor market […]
Japan May CPI Annual Rate Remains Above 2% on Fuels, Food, Appliances
By Max Sato –Core CPI +2.1% Y/Y for May, April Largest in Over 13 Years If 2014 Sales Tax Hike Impact Excluded–Total CPI +2.4% Y/Y for May, April Largest in Over 30 Years Excluding Impact of 2014, 1997 Sales Tax Hikes–Pace of Energy Price Rise Slower; Household Durable Goods Prices on Uptrend (MaceNews) – Consumer […]
Japan Govt Keeps View Economy Showing Signs of Pickup as Eased Covid Rules Prop Up Sentiment
By Mas Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Monday maintained its economic overview for June after upgrading it in April as the drag from the pandemic appears to have waned while continuing to warn about the impact of the protracted Ukraine war, Covid restrictions in China, supply bottlenecks and fluctuating financial markets, according to its monthly […]
Analysis: BOJ Easing Stance Set in Stone, Abenomics Ghost Haunts Japan’s Policymaking
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The latest message from Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda points to the bank’s long-term commitment to maintaining its monetary easing stance despite a rush of interest rate hikes by other central banks, as cyclical and structural issues are keeping Japan’s domestic demand sluggish and consumer prices relatively low. In […]
Japan May Exports Post 15th Straight Y/Y Rise on Reopening Demand for Steel, Electronic Parts
–Imports Hit Fresh Record High on High Energy Costs, Leading to 10th Straight Trade Deficit –Exports to China Mark 2nd Straight Y/Y Drop on Covid Lockdowns By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Global reopening demand for iron and steel and semiconductors continued driving Japanese exports to surpass year-earlier levels for the 15th month in a row […]
Japan April Machine Orders Mark Unexpectedly Sharp Rise on Computer Demand
–Japan Government Upgrades View: Machine Orders Showing Signs of Pickup Vs. Previous Assessment that Pickup Stalling By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese machinery orders, the key leading indicator of business investment in equipment, unexpectedly posted a second straight sharp monthly gain in April on solid demand for upgrading computer systems, raising hopes that orders for […]