Industrial Production

Industrial production in May decreased 0.1% from the previous month, showing a decrease for the first time in three months but a year-on-year increase of 20.2%. The index in May was 95.9 (seasonally adjusted).

Industries that mainly contributed to the decrease were as follows: (1) transport equipment, (2) pulp, paper, and paper products, and (3) petroleum and coal products, in that order.

Commodities that mainly contributed to the decrease were as follows: (1) large passenger cars, (2) semiconductor products machinery, and (3) flat-panel display products machinery, in that order.

According to the Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, industrial production is expected to increase 0.4% in June and 1.0% in July.

Family Income and Expenditure Survey

(1) Expenditure for two-or-more-person households
The average monthly consumption expenditure per two-or-more-person household in May was 280,714 yen, down 1.7% in nominal terms and down 0.7% in real terms from the previous year.

(2) Income and expenditure for workers’ households
The average monthly income per household stood at 421,413 yen, down 3.4% in nominal terms and down 2.4% in real terms from the previous year.

The average consumption expenditure was 303,326 yen, down 4.4% in nominal terms and down 3.4% in real terms from the previous year.

Labour Force Survey Monthly Results

These survey results, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on June 30, showed the following:

(1) Employment

The number of employed persons in May 2010 was 62.95 million, a decrease of 470,000, or 0.7%, from the previous year.

(2) Unemployment

The number of unemployed persons in May 2010 was 3.47 million, the same number as the previous year. The unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, was 5.2%.

(10,000 persons)
	Actual figures	Change from previous year
			(%)
Population aged 15 years or older	11,047	-3	-0.0
Labour force	6,642	-47	-0.7
Employed persons	6,295	-47	-0.7
Employees	5,458	-20	-0.4
Unemployed persons	347	0	0.0
Not in labour force	4,400	42	1.0
Labour force participation rate (%)	60.1	-0.4
Employment rate (%)	57.0	-0.4
Unemployment rate, original series (%)	5.2	0.0
	Current month	Change from previous month
Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted (%)	5.2	0.1