The DI for small firms has been unchanged for all industries, but it continues to be at a relatively high level. As for business fixed investment, firms have maintained their positive investment stance, as suggested by, for example, the upward revision of their fixed investment plans for fiscal 2015 in the June Tankan, with corporate profits increasing to a historical high.
In the household sector, despite the effects of irregular weather, private consumption has been resilient, reflecting steady improvement in the employment and income situation, as seen in, for example, the continued improvement in the active job openings-to-applicants ratio. In addition, housing investment has started to pick up.