Japan's small business sentiment deteriorated for a second month in May, Shoko Chukin Bank said Tuesday.
The corresponding index dropped by 0.4 points to 47.2 in May. A reading below 50 indicates that pessimists outnumber optimists.
Confidence among manufacturers dipped to 44.4 from 45.8, while non-manufacturers sentiment rose to 49.5 from 49.1 a month ago.
At the same time, the forward-looking overall business confidence index improved to 48.2 for June.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.