Japan’s PMI Manufacturing index was finalized at 50.4 in May, up from 49.6 in April, crossing the 50 neutral mark for the first time in a year. S&P Global noted that both output and new orders remained broadly stable, while employment and input stocks saw expansion.
Pollyanna De Lima at S&P Global Market Intelligence highlighted the “encouraging trends” in the manufacturing industry, noting that new orders and output were stable, and businesses were optimistic about the year ahead. She mentioned that input stocks increased as materials ordered in recent months arrived, which bodes well for production and suggests a gradual near-term recovery.
Factory employment also rose but continued to be affected by retirements and difficulties in finding suitable replacements. Another challenge faced by manufacturers was the intensification of cost pressures due to yen depreciation, which strained the prices of imported items. This, along with rising wage costs, led to the sharpest increase in output charges in a year. De Lima pointed out that this is concerning given the subdued domestic and external demand.
