The Taiwanese economy showed slight signs of a pick-up in June although it remained in the category of "slowdown", according to the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD). The June reading indicates a slowdown in the economy, the same as in the past three months, however the CEPD said signals maybe pointing towards improved economic prospects.
But the index of leading indicators for June rose 1.5% from the level in May, when it showed a revised 1.0% month-on-month increase, the council said.
Orders for manufacturers in June put in a larger year-on-year increase than in May and customs-cleared exports showed a smaller year-on-year decrease.
The only negative contributor was the average monthly working hours in the manufacturing sector, which fell month-on-month.
A survey of manufacturers for June showed that 21% of the respondents expected the economy to improve over the next three months, up from the revised 18% a month earlier; while 16% held a negative view, down from a revised 17% in the month earlier.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005
