TOKYO -- As Japanese economic data hints at a potential recession in the offing, analysts are divided on the state of the economy, weighing a strong labor market against weaker export and production numbers.
The monthly index of business conditions for January dropped to a level "signaling a possible turning point," government data released Thursday shows. But the downturn seems to reflect a manufacturing industry slowdown tied to a decline in exports, given that four of the nine indicators used to calculate the index are related to production or shipments.
