 Big manufacturers index -6 in January vs 8 in December, the first negative reading since January of 2021Big non-manufacturers index 20 in January vs 25 in December Japan manufacturers April index seen at 6, non-manufacturers at 15The slump in confidence amongst large manufacturers is not a positive sign for ongoing wage hikes. Both the Japanese government and Bank of Japan have been urging firms to raise wages in order to achieve stable inflation. 