SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's government on Friday saw signs of improved production and consumption despite lingering worry about an export slump caused by the imposition of U.S. tariffs.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its monthly report, called Green Book, that major economic indicators of production and consumption showed an overall improvement trend to get out of a slump in the first half, though the indicators fluctuated on a monthly basis.
The ministry, however, noted that the Asian economy continued to see delayed recovery of construction investment, employment difficulty for vulnerable groups, and worry about export downturn affected by U.S. tariffs.
It said the global economy was worried about facing continued volatility in the global financial market and sluggishness in trade and growth amid a worsened trade environment, vowing to focus on enhancing consumer demand and supporting local companies damaged by the U.S. tariffs imposition.
As part of its supplementary budget plan, the government began to provide cash handouts to all people in July in a bid to bolster the sagging private consumption.
Production among construction companies tumbled 6.1 percent in August from a month earlier, but output in the mining and manufacturing industry expanded 2.4 percent.
Retail sales and facility investment declined 2.4 percent and 1.1 percent each in the cited month.
Exports advanced 12.6 percent in September from a year earlier owing to more working days, but the daily average export retreated 6.1 percent last month.
Sentiment among consumers over economic situations worsened in six months in September, but it remained at a relatively high level of 110.1.
The number of jobs increased by 312,000 in September from a year earlier, while the jobless rate stood unchanged at 2.1 percent.
Consumer prices rose 2.1 percent in September on a yearly basis, higher than an increase of 1.7 percent in the prior month. ■
