By Kantaro Komiya

TOKYO (Reuters – Japan’s industrial production rose in October, for the fourth consecutive month. But the slower pace than expected underscores the lingering effect of supply chain disruptions worldwide.

According to data, Japan may experience a slow but steady recovery following the pandemic. This is due to continued risks such as global commodity inflation and supply snags.

According to government data, factory output increased 1.1% in October compared with the prior month. This was the first rise since June. The increase was 1.8% higher than the forecasted gain of 1.8% in a Reuters poll, which followed a decrease of 5.4% in previous months.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, (METI), manufacturers surveyed expected their output to rise 9.0% in November, and then increase by 2.1% in December.

Data from Japan on Tuesday revealed that the country’s October jobless rate fell from 2.7% to 2.7%. An index measuring job availability also dropped from 1.16 to 1.15 in September.

The current quarter will see a rebound of the third largest economy in the world after a contraction from July to September. This is partly because of an increase in consumption due to lifting the emergency restrictions that were imposed by the pandemic.