Japanese industrial production falls third consecutive month in June

The Japanese economy is likely to have slowed significantly in the second quarter.

A report from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry today showed that industrial production fell 0.1 percent in June. This was the third consecutive monthly decline in industrial production. Output had fallen by 3.4 percent in May and 0.2 percent in April.

Output in the second quarter as a whole was 2.2 percent lower than in the first quarter, which is likely to have made a significant dent in overall economic growth.

The third quarter appears to have started better. A survey of manufacturers released with the production data showed that output was seen rebounding by 4.5 percent in July.

However, the survey also showed that output was expected to fall again by 0.6 percent in August.