Business sentiment among workers in Japan with jobs sensitive to economic trends logged a record low for the second consecutive month in April as the novel coronavirus pandemic stalled the nation's business activity, government data showed Wednesday.
The diffusion index of confidence among "economy watchers" such as taxi drivers and restaurant staff fell 6.3 points from the previous month to 7.9, the lowest level since comparable data became available in 2002.
The Cabinet Office downgraded its assessment for the third straight month, saying the economy, already in a quite severe situation following the coronavirus outbreak, is deteriorating further.