Confidence among Japan's small and medium-sized enterprises improved for the second straight month in July, survey figures released by the Shoko Chukin Bank showed Wednesday.
The small business confidence index rose to 47.8 in July from 46.5 in the previous month. In May, the score was 45.6.
The index measuring confidence in the manufacturing industry strengthened to 46.6 in July from 45.9 in June. Similarly, the morale for the non-manufacturing sector gained by 1.9 points to 48.8 during the month.
The overall business confidence index for August is expect to fall to 47.4. The survey respondents forecast the manufacturing confidence to drop to 44.8, while the non-manufacturing confidence to rise to 49.5.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.