Japan’s Factory Output Soars as Car Production Returns

Japan’s Factory Output Soars as Car Production Returns
A worker cycles near a factory at the Keihin industrial zone in Kawasaki, Japan, on Feb. 17, 2016. Toru Hanai/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

TOKYO—Japan’s factory output jumped at the fastest pace on record in November, as easing global supply chain bottlenecks helped car production leap out of its recent slump, lifting prospects for a strong fourth-quarter economic rebound.

But while improved manufacturing conditions provide some relief for policymakers, persistent global semiconductor shortages and new risks from the Omicron coronavirus variant are expected to cloud the outlook for the world’s third-largest economy.