Australia Unemployment Data Due On Thursday

(RTTNews) - Australia will on Thursday release unemployment data for November, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The jobless rate is expected to hold steady at 5.4 percent, with the addition of 19,000 jobs following the gain of 3,700 jobs in October. The participation rate is called steady at 65.1 percent.

China will provide November numbers for retail sales, industrial production and fixed asset investment.

Retail sales are expected to rise 10.3 percent on year after climbing 10.0 percent in October. Output is called steady at 6.2 percent on year, while FAI is expected to slow to 6.6 percent from 6.7 percent in the previous month.

Japan will see final October figures for industrial production; the preliminary reading suggested an increase of 0.5 percent on month and 5.9 percent on year.

Japan also will see preliminary December numbers for the Manufacturing PMI from Nikkei; in November, the index score was 53.6.

Hong Kong will release Q3 numbers for industrial production and producer prices. In the second quarter, output sank 0.1 percent on quarter and gained 0.4 percent on year, while producer prices were up 3.7 percent on year.

The central bank in Indonesia will wrap up its monetary policy meeting and then announce its decision on interest rates. The central bank is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate steady at 4.25 percent.

The central bank in the Philippines also will conclude its monetary policy meeting and then announce its decision on interest rates. The central bank is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate steady at 3.00 percent.