Preliminary data show Chinese consumer sales during the Labor Day holiday jumped 14.3% year-on-year, slightly above the February Lunar New Year increase. Economists caution the boost may be temporary, with retail growth likely slowing afterward amid

2026-05-07

Preliminary data show Chinese consumer sales during the Labor Day holiday jumped 14.3% year-on-year, slightly above the February Lunar New Year increase. Economists caution the boost may be temporary, with retail growth likely slowing afterward amid a soft labor market, high youth unemployment, and a struggling property sector. Michelle Lam of Societe Generale and Duncan Wrigley of Pantheon Macroeconomics highlight housing confidence and Tier-1 city price trends as key factors for sustaining consumption momentum.