日本景気動向指数下跌

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

内閣府がまとめたことし５月の景気動向指数は、景気の持ち直しをけん引してきた自動車やテレビの販売の伸びが鈍ったことなどから、景気の現状を示す指数が１年２か月ぶりに悪化しました。
景気動向指数は、企業の生産や雇用などさまざまな経済活動の指標を基に内閣府が算出したもので、指数が前の月を上回れば景気は上向き、下回れば下向きと判断されます。このうち景気の現状を示す「一致指数」は、平成１７年の１００に対し、５月は１０１．２となり、前の月に比べて０．１ポイント下がって１年２か月ぶりに悪化しました。これは、エコカー減税など政府の経済対策の効果で好調だった自動車やテレビの販売の伸びが鈍ってきたことや、輸出も増加のペースが緩やかになってきたことで消費や生産に関する指標が低下したためです。一方、景気の先行きを示す「先行指数」も、前の月より自動車やテレビの出荷が減少したことなどから、前の月を３．０ポイント下回る９８．７となり、２か月連続で悪化しました。

Regarding the economic movement indices in May this year that the Cabinet Office had collected together, the index showed that the present state of the economy had deteriorated after an interval of one year and two months because the expansion in sales of cars and televisions that had pulled up the recovery of business became dull.
The economic movement index was a calculation of the Cabinet Office that based on the indices of a variety of economic activities like production and the employment, etc. of the enterprise, would assume that the business would go upward if the index exceeded the previous month, and would go downward if it fell below. "The Co-ordinated Indicator" that showed the present state of the economy that was set at 100 in 2005 had become 101.2, falling by 0.1 points when compared with the previous month, recording a deterioration in May after an interval of 1 year and two months. This was because the expansion of sales in auto-cars and televisions with the effect of economic measures of the the government such as the eco-friendly car tax reductions had become dull. The pace of increase in export had become slow, the index concerning consumption and export went down. On the other hand, the "Leading Indicator" that showed the future of business became 98.7, falling below the previous month by 3.0 points due to a decrease in shipment of cars and televisions in previous month, and it was a continuous two-month deterioration.

Although the economic outlook in Europe is not that positive, I hope the economy situation in Asia could improve soon.