Mainly due to these developments, industrial production is starting to decline, and inventories of some materials and electronics parts are becoming excessive. Corporate profits continue to improve but the pace is thought to be slowing significantly, particularly in the manufacturing industries, as exports and production are recently weakening.
Income conditions of households have not deteriorated but the effects of the decline in production are starting to be observed in new job offers and overtime working hours. As for the outlook, public investment is expected to start increasing with the advance in the implementation of the supplementary budget for fiscal 2000.