An underlying factor is progress with efforts to boost potential demand in areas related to ordinary consumption and nonmanufacturing. Firms’ profitability has been increasing, and this seems to have brought about a recovery trend in the employment and income situation. 1.
BIS Review 112/2009  3  Chart 1: Bank profits and volatility of earnings (median values of return on equity and standard deviation from 2000 to 2007)  Source: Bankscope.