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Japanese economy gains pace
Japan’s economy is steadily gaining steam, an official forecast showed yesterday, as the employment outlook, consumer confidence and business sales all showed signs of improvement in March. The cabinet office’s leading index increased from 96 in February to 96.6 in March, the fourth consecutive monthly rise. The new job offers index rose from minus 0.01 in February to 0.22 in March – its highest level since November – while the consumer confidence measure also rebounded from minus 0.07 to a positive reading of 0.44.