Positive data come out at just the right time for Abe as he begins campaigning
Tokyo — A raft of broadly positive economic data gave Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a boost on Friday, as he kicked off an election campaign in which the health of the world’s third-biggest economy will play a major role. Factory output grew more than expected while household spending — seen as key for Japan’s exit from years of deflation — edged up and the unemployment rate sat at a more than two-decade low. Japan’s industrial production growth came in at 2.1% in August, the latest evidence of an economic recovery, capping off six consecutive quarters of gains in the April-June period — the longest winning streak in more than a decade. The country’s prospects have recently improved with investments linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics giving the economy a shot in the arm.
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