
Arseniy45/iStock via Getty Images
China’s retail sales increased by 5.5% year-on-year in January–February 2024 combined, topping the market consensus of 5.2% and coming after a 7.4% rise in December. It was the 13th straight month of growth in retail trade.
China’s industrial production expanded by 7.0% year-on-year in January–February 2024 combined, faster than a 6.8% growth in December 2023 and beating market forecasts of 5%, boosted by robust activities in manufacturing and utilities.
On a monthly basis, industrial output grew by 0.56%. In 2023, industrial output advanced by 4.6%.
Meanwhile, fixed asset investment rose 4.2% YTD year-on-year in January–February vs. 3.2% expected and 3.0% seen in December.
The Chinese statistics agency published combined figures for the first two months of each year to smooth out distortions caused by the shifting timing of the Lunar New Year.
Separately, China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.3% in January–February 2024, compared with 5.1% in December. It was the highest reading since last July, with the unemployment rate of the local registered labor force at 5.5% and that of the migrant labor force at 4.8%.
Last year, the unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% from 5.6% in 2022, less than the official target of around 5.5%.
For 2024, the government has targeted a jobless rate of around 5.5%, possibly creating about 12 million new urban jobs.
ETFs: (FXI), (KWEB), (CQQQ), (MCHI), (ASHR), (YINN), (TDF), (CHIQ), (GXC), (EWH), (KBA), (YANG), (CXSE), (CAF), (CWEB), (PGJ), (KURE), (CHIX).
Currency: (CNY:USD)