The tertiary industry index gained 0.6 percent in June from the previous month for the second straight monthly rise but failed to recover from the large decline logged in April, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Wednesday.
The tertiary industry index came to a seasonally adjusted 108.4 against the 1995 base of 100, but it fell 0.7 percent in the April-June period from the previous quarter to 107.9 for the first downswing in three quarters and the largest in three years, according to a preliminary METI report.
The activity brought the index of overall industrial activity -- which includes output in the primary, construction, core industrial, and public sectors -- up 0.3 percent to 103.1 in June, although the index was down 1.9 percent to 103.2 in the reporting quarter.
The fall in the all-industry index, seen as a bellwether for gross domestic product growth, is also the largest in three years, a METI official said. GDP grew a real 0.1 percent in the January-March quarter.
Tertiary industry activity rose in June thanks to a 0.9 percent gain in wholesaling and a 0.8 percent climb in personal services, the ministry said.
The index for electricity, gas, heat and water supply also rose, by 1.3 percent, due to higher-than-usual temperatures in late June that boosted power demand for air conditioning, the official said.
By contrast, a 1 percent downturn in telecommunications and a 0.2 percent drop in financial services on the faltering stock market kept the tertiary activity index from making any significant gains, METI said.