Japan's economic recovery is likely to remain sluggish in the July-September period, as the resurgence in domestic coronavirus infections is expected to lead to parts of the country remaining under a state of emergency for the next few months, analysts say.
Some analysts say the economy is unlikely to return to its pre-pandemic size by the end of 2021 as projected by the government, following the release Monday of figures showing real gross domestic product increased at an annualized pace of just 1.3% in the April-June period.
Responding to a survey released Thursday by the Japan Center for Economic Research and conducted over an eight-day period through Aug. 6, 36 private-sector think tanks forecast average GDP growth of an annualized 2.55% in the July-September period, down sharply from the 4.90% increase projected a month earlier.