New statistics show that cautious optimism has returned to Taiwan’s business sector. That’s according to the latest figures from the government statistics office, out on Friday.
The number of manufacturers optimistic about the economic outlook for the next six months rose 3.1 percentage points in March. That makes March the first month the index has gone up since last July. The head of the statistics office, Wu Chung-shu, said Friday that Taiwan’s economic downturn is showing signs of slowing. But he said the economy remains weak.
The statistics office also released the PMI figures for March on Friday. The figure rose from 41.4% in February to 54.9% in March, an indication that the nation’s economic health is improving.
Wu said there were several factors behind the rise in PMI. He said businesses were reporting a rise in new orders and production grew significantly in March as well.