The manufacturing sector in Japan continued to contract in March, and at a faster pace, the latest survey from Jibun Bank revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 48.3.
That's down from 49.0 in February, and it moved further beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
Though modest, the rate of decline was the quickest seen in a year, with firms registering steeper falls in both production and new orders. As a result, companies cut back solidly on purchasing activity and continued to trim their inventories. Employment was a bright spot, with firms adding to their workforce numbers for the fourth straight month.
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June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.