Japan PMI Manufacturing dropped to 49.7 in January, down from 50.0, back in contraction. PMI Services dropped to 45.7, down from 47.7. PMI Composite dropped to 46.7, down from 48.5.
Usamah Bhatti, Economist at IHS Markit, said: “Short-term activity will undoubtedly be hampered by rising coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, as the government declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and introduced further measures to curb rising infection rates. As a result, positive sentiment weakened across the private sector. Firms are still predicting growth over the coming 12 months, although concern remains that the impact of the pandemic will be prolonged.”
