Japan's longest postwar expansion may be over, as record crude oil and raw material costs discourage companies from hiring and spending, according to a government report Monday.
The government downgraded its evaluation of the coincident index, a measure of current economic activity, after the gauge fell to 101.7 in April from a revised 102.4 the previous month.
The economy may be reaching a "turning point," the Cabinet Office said after releasing the figures.
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