-->Monday, September 30, 2002

TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Japanese industrial output rose 1.6% in August from a month earlier, the government said Monday, suggesting production remains on a firm footing after it lifted the country out of recession earlier this year.


The result follows a 0.1% rise in July, but was slightly worse than expectations of economists surveyed by Dow Jones and Nikkei News, who predicted on average that output rose 2.5%.

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A 3.5% rise in output of electronic equipment, including personal computers, contributed most to the overall production rise in August. Output of semiconductors and other general machinery was also strong, rising 6.0% from the previous month, METI said.

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August output rose 1.9% in on-year terms, the second straight increase after a 3.8% jump in July.

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