The manufacturing sector in Japan slipped into contraction territory in July, the latest reading from Jibun Bank revealed on Wednesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.2.
That\'s down from 50.0, and it falls beneath that mark that separates expansion from contraction.
The survey also showed that the services PMI improved to 53.9 from 49.4 in June, and the composite index likewise improved to 52.6 from 49.7 a month earlier.