TOKYO
Japanese industrial production rose 1.1% on month in December, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said, on a demand rush ahead of an April sales tax increase
The rise after adjustment for seasonal factors was smaller than the 1.3% increase forecast by economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal and the Nikkei. It also comes after a 0.1% decline in November
Economists have said that despite few gains in export volumes -- traditionally a driver of Japan's economic recovery -- output has been lifted by firm domestic demand
The government plans to raise the sales tax to 8% from 5% in April, prompting many businesses and individuals to make large purchases before then
The increase in industrial output was due to a rise in production in the general purpose and production machinery sectors as well as electronic parts and devices
Companies expect output to rise 6.1% in January, and then increase 0.3% in February, according to a corporate survey released with the data
METI kept its assessment that output was picking up unchanged
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TOKYO--Japanese consumer prices rose at their sharpest rate in over five years in December, the government said Friday, beating economists' expectations and adding to signs that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to end deflation are making headway.
Consumer prices also increased for the whole of 2013, the first annual increase in five years, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The core consumer price index, which excludes volatile fresh-food costs, climbed 1.3% from a year earlier in December, faster than a 1.2% gain in the previous month, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
It was the biggest rise since a 1.9% increase in October 2008, and higher than a 1.2% increase expected the forecast of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal and the Nikkei.
The core index for 2013 increased 0.4% after a 0.1% fall the previous year.
Budding signs of inflation have drawn cheers from Japanese policy-makers in the year since Mr. Abe introduced aggressive stimulus steps, known as "Abenomics." His policies are aimed at reversing 15 years of falling prices, which have weighed on growth by increasing debt burdens and discouraging consumer spending. But critics say Japanese firms need to raise wages more for mild inflation to take root, partly because a planned domestic sales tax hike in April this year is likely to hurt consumption, weakening upward pressure on prices.
The CPI including fresh food prices rose 1.6% on year in December.
The core CPI for the Tokyo metropolitan area--an early indicator of price trends for the rest of Japan--increased 0.7% in January. The overall Tokyo CPI gained 0.7%.
Employment data released Friday also suggested a strongly recovering economy. The jobless rate fell to 3.7% of the work force, down from 4.0% in November and the lowest rate since December 2007. The closely watched ratio of available jobs to applicants also improved to 1.03, meaning 103 jobs were on offer for every 100 job seekers.
USD Gasto en construcción (Mensualmente) 0,1% 0,2% 0,8%
USD Índice ISM manufacturero 51,3 56,4 57,0
USD ISM Empleo Manufacturero 52,3 55,8 56,9
USD Precios de ISM manufacturero 60,5 54,0 53,5
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