<p>Japanese companies think the country will suffer a fourth round of coronavirus infections, with many bracing for a further blow to business, a Reuters monthly poll showed.</p>.<p>Japan has so far seen far fewer Covid-19 cases than many Western countries, but concerns about a new wave of infections are rising fast.</p>.<p>A delay in vaccinations versus other Group of Seven advanced countries and a lacking sense of crisis among the public will trigger a new wave of infections, some firms wrote in the poll.</p>.<p>The Corporate Survey found almost all Japanese companies anticipated a new wave of infections in Japan. Many expected it to peak in May, around the time of the Golden Week holidays, which would diminish hope for a domestic demand-led recovery.</p>.<p>If the new wave of infections led Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government to issue a fresh state of emergency, which entails business restrictions and penalty, that would hurt sales at 59% of firms, the April 2-13 survey found.</p>.<p>"Restaurant and tourism industries have been so exhausted that I'm concerned a new wave of infections will deal a body blow," a chemicals maker manager wrote in the survey.</p>.<p>A wholesaler said a new wave of infections and a state of emergency would make companies more cautious about spending and output.</p>.<p>The survey, which was conducted for Reuters by Nikkei Research, canvassed 482 large and midsize non-financial Japanese corporations on condition of anonymity so that they could express opinions freely. About 240 firms responded.</p>.<p>Although global demand and domestic consumption have helped the world's third-largest economy emerge from the slump, hardest-hit industries such as restaurants and hotels remain under pressure.</p>.<p>By sector, nearly two-thirds of non-manufacturers expected sales to decline further if another state of emergency was issued, with many firms at industries such as wholesale/retail, transportation/utilities and other services seeing sales drop.</p>.<p>Underscoring the steady job market despite the pandemic, nearly three quarters of Japanese firms saw no change to their hiring plans for the coming fiscal year starting April 2022.</p>.<p>About one in five would either freeze hiring or cut it in fiscal year 2022, and just one out of 10 intend to increase hiring, the survey found.</p>.<p>Fewer than one in 10 firms were considering layoffs.</p>.<p>"We had a big cut in hiring for this fiscal year. Business results remain hard to recover for the time being so we will curb hiring for the fiscal 2022 as well," a paper/pulp maker manager wrote.</p>
<p>Japanese companies think the country will suffer a fourth round of coronavirus infections, with many bracing for a further blow to business, a Reuters monthly poll showed.</p>.<p>Japan has so far seen far fewer Covid-19 cases than many Western countries, but concerns about a new wave of infections are rising fast.</p>.<p>A delay in vaccinations versus other Group of Seven advanced countries and a lacking sense of crisis among the public will trigger a new wave of infections, some firms wrote in the poll.</p>.<p>The Corporate Survey found almost all Japanese companies anticipated a new wave of infections in Japan. Many expected it to peak in May, around the time of the Golden Week holidays, which would diminish hope for a domestic demand-led recovery.</p>.<p>If the new wave of infections led Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government to issue a fresh state of emergency, which entails business restrictions and penalty, that would hurt sales at 59% of firms, the April 2-13 survey found.</p>.<p>"Restaurant and tourism industries have been so exhausted that I'm concerned a new wave of infections will deal a body blow," a chemicals maker manager wrote in the survey.</p>.<p>A wholesaler said a new wave of infections and a state of emergency would make companies more cautious about spending and output.</p>.<p>The survey, which was conducted for Reuters by Nikkei Research, canvassed 482 large and midsize non-financial Japanese corporations on condition of anonymity so that they could express opinions freely. About 240 firms responded.</p>.<p>Although global demand and domestic consumption have helped the world's third-largest economy emerge from the slump, hardest-hit industries such as restaurants and hotels remain under pressure.</p>.<p>By sector, nearly two-thirds of non-manufacturers expected sales to decline further if another state of emergency was issued, with many firms at industries such as wholesale/retail, transportation/utilities and other services seeing sales drop.</p>.<p>Underscoring the steady job market despite the pandemic, nearly three quarters of Japanese firms saw no change to their hiring plans for the coming fiscal year starting April 2022.</p>.<p>About one in five would either freeze hiring or cut it in fiscal year 2022, and just one out of 10 intend to increase hiring, the survey found.</p>.<p>Fewer than one in 10 firms were considering layoffs.</p>.<p>"We had a big cut in hiring for this fiscal year. Business results remain hard to recover for the time being so we will curb hiring for the fiscal 2022 as well," a paper/pulp maker manager wrote.</p>