China’s economy showed some renewed signs of weaknesses as key gauges for consumption and investment missed expectations, while Beijing continues to grapple with challenges including a drawn-out property market slump and waning business confidence.
Retail sales, a key metric for domestic consumption, rose 10.1% from a year earlier in November, topping the 7.6% growth marked in October but missing the 12.9% expansion expected by surveyed economists.
China’s retail sales dropped from the previous month, recording a 0.06% contraction from October.
Industrial production growth meanwhile climbed to 6.6% on year from 4.6% in October, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday. The result beat the 5.9% increase expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.
Fixed-asset investment increased 2.9% over the January to November period, matching the pace set in the first ten months of the year. Economists had expected fixed-asset investment to grow 3% on year.
China’s urban surveyed unemployment rate in November was 5%, the same rate as in October.