- Australia’s GDP grew 1.4 percent on the previous quarter and 5.5 percent on the same quarter in 2004. The unemployment rate of 5.1 percent was the same compared to January 2005 and a 0.7 percent decline from February 2004.
- Preliminary figures estimated a 7.1 percent rise in Hong Kong’s economy compared to the previous quarter and a 4.8-percent increase (non-seasonally adjusted) compared to the same quarter in 2003. The jobless rate in the country, measured from December 2004 to February 2005, fell 0.3 percent from the same period a year ago, its largest drop in 15 months. The rate of 6.1 percent signified a 39-month low. “The improvement was mainly due to the combined influence of continued expansion in overall employment and a slight reduction in the total labor supply,” said a government spokesperson. “The near-term outlook for the unemployment rate will depend on the pace of overall economic growth and job creation for the labor force.”
- Japan’s January unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, a 0.1-percent increase from the previous month and a drop of 0.5 percent from the same month in 2004.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Post a Comment