Kansai Economic Insight Monthly Vol.73 (May 2019)
Summary: Economy remains sluggish with signs of potential deterioration
- Production in March shrank MoM for the first time in two months.
- The April trade balance remained positive for the third month in a row, but it shrank YoY.
- The Economy Watchers’ DI in March improved MoM for the first time in two months.
- Real wages in February increased YoY for the second month in a row.
- Sales by large retailers in March expanded for the first time in five months.
- New housing starts in March increased YoY for the first time in two months.
- The effective job offers-to-applicants ratio in March remained unchanged.
- March was the 13th month of uninterrupted YoY growth in construction.
- International arrivals at KIX in April grew YoY for the seventh month in a row.
- China’s PMI in April deteriorated for the first time in two months.