Japan June industrial output rises 1.9% month-on-month

[TOKYO] Japan's industrial output rose 1.9 per cent in June, government data showed on Friday, in a sign that demand is starting to pick up.

That compared with the median estimate for a 0.7 per cent increase in a Reuters poll of economists.

Manufacturers surveyed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expect output to rise 2.4 per cent in July and increase by 2.3 per cent in August, data showed.

The government changed its assessment of industrial production, saying it was stagnating but that some areas were showing recovery. Last month, the ministry simply said industrial output was stagnating.

REUTERS