Industrial production was unchanged in July from the previous month, falling short of expectations for growth, the government said Tuesday.

However, the outlook is positive as demand in the automobile and electronics sectors is expected to be firm in the coming months, the government said.

The index of output at mines and factories stood at 100.7 in both July and June against the base of 100 for 2000, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report. METI had predicted a 1.6 percent rise in July, while private-sector analysts had forecast a 1.1 percent gain.