TOKYO: Japan's factory activity shrank at the fastest pace in over three-and-a-half years in February, a private-sector survey showed on Friday, as weakening demand worsened the economic outlook.
The final au Jibun Bank Japan manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) shrank to 47.2 in February from 48.0 in January. It was the ninth straight month of contraction and the fastest pace of decline since August 2020.
