Business fixed investment may be affected temporarily partly by the slowdown in overseas economies and the past yen appreciation. However, it is likely to continue increasing moderately as the highly accommodative financial conditions continue and growth expectations rise moderately. 3  Developments in the Household Sector Next, I would like to turn to developments in the household sector.
Positive developments in the corporate sector have steadily exerted positive effects on the employment and income situation (Chart 4). The tightening trend of labor market conditions has become more evident and the latest active job openings-to-applicants ratio was 1.38 times, marking the highest level seen since 1991. The unemployment rate has been about 3 percent, which is virtually "full employment."