Economic assessments upgraded for 7 of Japan's 11 regions

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TOKYO, May 28 Kyodo -
The Cabinet Office on Thursday upgraded its economic assessments for seven of
Japan's 11 regions as their economic deterioration has decelerated as a result
of progress in inventory adjustments for electronic parts and automobiles.
But the employment situation has been deteriorating in most of the regions, the
office said in its quarterly regional economic report.
The office raised its assessment from ''deteriorating fast'' in the previous
report in February to ''deteriorating moderately'' in its latest report for
four regions -- Tohoku, Northern Kanto, Southern Kanto and Kyushu.
The assessment was also upgraded from ''deteriorating very fast'' to
''deteriorating'' for Tokai and ''deteriorating fast'' for Hokuriku, and from
''deteriorating fast'' to ''deteriorating'' for Chugoku.
The office downgraded its assessment from ''weakening'' to ''beginning to
deteriorate'' for Okinawa and from ''deteriorating'' to ''deteriorating fast''
for Shikoku.
The assessment was left unchanged as ''deteriorating'' for Hokkaido and Kinki.
==Kyodo