A majority of firms said they have taken steps — from layoffs to pay cuts — to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic on the world's third-largest economy, according to a monthly poll.
The government used nonbinding social and business restrictions this year to curb the spread of the virus, crippling economic activity and exacerbating its first recession in 4½ years.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has responded with two relief packages totaling $2.2 trillion (¥234 trillion) — including payouts to citizens and ailing firms — but over half of the respondents in the poll, conducted by Reuters between June 2 and 12 , were critical of the response.