LEAD: Economic assessments upgraded for 7 of Japan's 11 regions

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TOKYO, May 28 Kyodo -
(EDS: ADDING INFO)
The Cabinet Office on Thursday upgraded its overall 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.
It is the first time that a quarterly regional economic report has been
upgraded since August 2006, but the office said the employment situation has
continued to deteriorate in most of the regions since its previous report in
February.
The seven regions with upgraded assessments are Tohoku, northern Kanto,
southern Kanto, Tokai, Hokuriku, Chugoku and Kyushu.
Meanwhile, the office downgraded its assessments for two regions -- Shikoku and
Okinawa -- due to weak industrial output, tourism, employment and other data.
The office raised its assessments from ''deteriorating fast'' in the February
report to ''deteriorating moderately'' in its latest report for four regions --
Tohoku, northern Kanto, southern Kanto and Kyushu.
The office downgraded its assessments from ''weakening'' to ''beginning to
deteriorate'' for Okinawa and from ''deteriorating'' to ''deteriorating fast''
for Shikoku.
Its assessments for Hokkaido and Kinki were left unchanged.
As for industrial output, the office upgraded its assessments for eight regions
-- Tohoku, northern Kanto, southern Kanto, Tokai, Hokuriku, Kinki, Chugoku and
Kyushu.
On the employment situation, the office downgraded its assessments for seven
regions -- Tohoku, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.
==Kyodo