The Kyushu-Okinawa region, in which Kumamoto Prefecture is located, reported that firms' business sentiment generally remained at favorable levels, although  2  exports and production were relatively weak on the whole. Housing investment and public investment were at high levels, and business fixed investment was increasing.
Private consumption was also increasing moderately on the back of an improvement in the employment and income situation. Labor market conditions have remained tight as Japan's economy has maintained its expanding trend. The unemployment rate has been at a low level of around 2.5 percent, and the active job openings-to-applicants ratio has remained at a high level.