Big firms of all types said they plan to boost investment by around 10%, slightly more than the plan three months ago. That suggests incoming premier, Fumio Kishida, who takes the helm Monday, may inherit an economy somewhat less damaged by the pandemic than anticipated. A separate report also showed resilience in the job market, with the unemployment rate holding at 2.8% in August. Kishida is widely expected to compile a sizable fiscal package to shore up the economy and woo voters before national elections expected in November. Today’s results suggest resilience among firms to the spread of the delta variant of coronavirus.

Source: The Star October 01, 2021 08:37 UTC