Japan’s economy will likely withstand the recent disasters, but it was extremely vulnerable before these events, and cyclical and structural economic forces could still make the recovery path uneven, The Conference Board reports in a new analysis. The earthquake on March 11 and the resulting aftershocks and tsunami occurred just as Japan’s long weak economic performance was beginning to show some improvement. Given the country’s preexisting structural problems, however, a return to a robust expansion is a big challenge.
