The government on Wednesday adopted an official projection of zero economic growth in real terms for fiscal 2002, turning in its lowest-ever fiscal year growth target.
The nation's gross domestic product will shrink 0.9 percent in nominal terms to 496.2 trillion yen, but continued deflation -- with wholesale prices likely to fall 0.8 percent and consumer prices 0.6 percent -- will offset the fall in real terms, the government said.
But while the job situation will remain severe under the structural reform drive, the economy is expected to show some signs of a pickup in the latter half of the fiscal year, which starts in April, it said.