The au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing PMI rose to 52.0 in March 2021 from a final 51.4 in the previous month and in line with market consensus, a flash figure showed. This was the second straight month of growth in factory activity and the steepest pace since December 2018, as a recovery in the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic gained traction, with new orders expanding the most since October 2018 while both output and new export orders continuing to grow. Also, buying levels rose, reversing from a drop a month earlier. At the same time, employment fell for the third month in a row, with backlogs of work increasing after a decline in February. As for prices, both input prices and selling charges rose at a faster rate. Finally, sentiment eased, with the level of optimism the softest in nine months.