Business sentiment among workers with jobs sensitive to economic trends in Japan improved in June for the first time in three months, as a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic was lifted in most of the country, official data showed Thursday.
The diffusion index of confidence in their current conditions compared with three months earlier among "economy watchers," such as taxi drivers and restaurant staff, soared 9.5 points from May to 47.6, according to the Cabinet Office.
A reading above 50 indicates that more respondents feel conditions are improving rather than worsening.