Factory output down on supply shortages

Productivity affected: Pedestrians walking past a car showroom in Tokyo. Production slipped 1.3% from the previous month, with falls at automakers and iron and steel manufacturers making the biggest contributions to the drop. — AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s factory output fell for a second straight month in January as supply shortages continued to hurt manufacturers, adding to concern that the economy could shrink this quarter as Omicron restrictions weigh on activity and the Russian invasion of Ukraine clouds the outlook.

Production slipped 1.3% from the previous month, with falls at automakers and iron and steel manufacturers making the biggest contributions to the drop and driving output below year-earlier levels, according to the industry ministry yesterday.