September industry output up 1.6%>
Japan's industrial output in September rose 1.6 percent from the previous month, bringing the production index to 102 against 100 for the 1990 base year, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report released Wednesday.
The ministry predicts the production index for mines and factories will drop 0.3 percent in October, followed by a substantial fall of 2.6 percent in November. The report, which came on the heels of a global stock plunge, notes it is necessary to closely monitor further developments but withholds overall assessment of production activities.
Ordinarily, the ministry highlights such an assessment in its monthly production report. Production activities were described as leveling off in the previous month's report. A ministry official refused to disclose estimates for the October-December period, a quarterly prediction figure normally made available, invoking speculation that the figure may be too harsh for public release.