TheheadlineauJibunBankJapanManufacturingPurchasingManagers’Index(PMI)–acompositesingle-figureindicatorofmanufacturingperformance–recordedbelowtheneutral50.0markyetagaininMay,fallingforafourthsuccessivemonthtosignalasharperrateofdeteriorationinthehealthofthesectorthaninApril.At38.4,theheadlinefigureslumpedfrom41.9inthepreviousmonthtoitslowestsinceMarch2009.