Dec. industrial output down 9.8%, worse than initial report+

TOKYO, Feb. 16 Kyodo - Japanese industrial output in December shrank a seasonally adjusted 9.8 percent from the previous month, revised downward from a 9.6 percent drop in the preliminary reading, the government said Monday.

The country's industrial output posted a record fall for the second straight
month as the deteriorating global economy dampened demand for automobiles and
high-tech products.
In a revised report, additional weak figures from alcoholic beverages and
plastic products pushed the headline reading down, registering its sharpest
fall since February 1953 when comparable figures first became available, the
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
The index of output in mines and factories stood at 84.4 against 100 for the
base year of 2005, the ministry said.
The index of industrial shipments fell 8.1 percent to 85.9, compared with an
8.0 percent decline from the initial report, released Jan. 30.
The inventory index rose 0.1 percent to 110.5, unchanged from the earlier report.
==Kyodo
2009-02-16 22:30:57