Japan auto output down 56.2 per cent in Feb: Industry

TOKYO: Automobile production in Japan dropped 56.2 per cent in February from a year earlier, falling for a fifth straight month as the global recession batters the sector, an industry body said Monday.

Unit production reached 481,396 vehicles, as output fell for all product segments -- passenger cars, trucks and buses -- said the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Japanese automakers have laid off thousands of workers and suspended production lines to cope with the global economic crisis.