Japan October Jobless Rate Falls to 2.5% for 2nd Straight Monthly Drop as Job Cuts Dip, Number of People Starting to Look for Work Plunges
–Employment Up on Year for 15th Straight Month, Led by Hotels, Restaurants, Communications; Construction Sheds Jobs After Recent Gains –Number of Unemployed Drops on Year for 2nd Straight Month By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese payrolls posted their 15th straight rise on year in October as hotels, restaurants and information communications firms hired more workers […]
Japan October Retail Sales Y/Y Rise Continues Slowing; Protracted Heat Wave Hurts Autumn Goods Demand
–METI Keeps View: Retail Sales on Gradual Uptrend–High Prices for Food, Beverages Supporting Overall Retail Sales –Department Store Sales Boosted by Influx of Foreign Visitors By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese retail sales continued to post a solid gain on the year in October, up 4.2%, amid smooth deliveries of automobiles, but the pace of […]
Japan October Industrial Production Posts 2nd Straight Monthly Rise on Bottoming Chip Market, Solid Vehicle Sales
–METI Survey: Output Likely to Fall in November, Rise in December –METI Keeps View: Output Taking One Step Forward, One Step Back –METI Repeats: To Watch Effects of Downside Risks to Global Growth, Rise in Inflation By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production made a solid start to the final quarter of 2023, posting its […]
Japan October Core CPI Annual Rate Edges Up to 2.9% on Reduced Energy Subsidies, Hotel Fee Jump After Easing to 13-Month Low of 2.8% in September
–Total CPI Picks Up to 3-Month High of +3.3% After Moderating to 12-Month Low of +3.0% in September –Core-Core CPI (Ex-Fresh Food, Energy) Annual Rate Eases Further to 7-Month Low of 4.0% from 4.2% in September, 42-Year High of 4.3% in August By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Consumer inflation in Japan picked up slightly in […]
Japan Govt Downgrades View on Moderate Economic Recovery on Slow Capital Investment, Q3 GDP Contraction
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Wednesday downgraded its overall assessment for the first time in 10 months in light of sluggish capital investment, saying the economy is still recovering moderately but that the pickup in some areas is pausing, according to its monthly report released by the Cabinet Office. It continued to warn […]
Japan October Exports Post 2nd Straight Y/Y Rise on Solid Demand for Autos but Trade Balance Slips Back into Deficit amid Slower Global Growth
–Export Volumes Down After 1st Y/Y Gain in 12 Months in September –Imports Mark 7th Straight Y/Y Fall on Easing Energy Prices –Exports to China Show 11th Straight Y/Y Drop on Chips, Iron/Steel By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese export values posted their second straight year-over-year increase in October, rising a stronger-than-expected 1.6% to the […]
Japan September Core Machine Orders Post 1st Rise in 3 Months on Service Sector Demand for Computers
–Core Orders Slip Q/Q in July-September but Smaller Than Officially Forecast –October-December Orders Projected to Show Slight Rebound –Cabinet Office Keeps View: Machine Orders Pausing By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese core machinery orders, the key leading indicator of business investment in equipment, rebounded an above-forecast 1.4% on the month in September after a slight […]
Japan Q3 GDP Posts 1st Contraction in 3 Quarters on Pullback in Net Exports, Sharp Drop in Private Inventories, Weaker Public Works, Capex
–Q3 GDP -2.1% Annualized Drop Much Weaker Than -0.6% Median Forecast –Consumption Flat as Pent-Up Demand for Eating Out, Traveling Wanes –Q4 GDP Seen Up but Faces Slowing Global Demand, Domestic Labor Shortages By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s gross domestic product for the July-September quarter posted its first contraction in three quarters, down 0.5% […]
Bank of Japan October Meeting Summary: Must Watch Pay Hikes for Fiscal 2024 Onward as Key to Positive Wages-to-Inflation Cycle
–Members Agree Central Bank Needs to ‘Patiently’ Continue with Monetary Easing for Now Amid High Uncertainty By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members stressed that they need to closely monitor wage negotiations between major firms and their labor unions that take place in the early parts of next year as they […]
Japan September Household Spending Posts 7th Straight Y/Y Drop as Lingering Heat Wave Dents Demand for Autumn Goods, High Costs Hurt
–Q3 Core Spending Down 0.8% Q/Q for 3rd Straight Fall, Indicating Sluggish Consumption in Q3 GDP –Move to Discount Mobile Phone Plans Continues, Pushing Down Spending–Eating Out, Travel Solid; Demand for Automobiles Up on Improved Supply Chains –Real Household Income Posts 12th Straight Y/Y Drop on Elevated Costs Despite Nominal Wage Hikes By Max Sato […]