A central bank survey indicates that Chinese households exhibited growing pessimism during the last quarter, with their perception of the labor market reaching an all-time low. This presents a concern for an economy that may face deceleration in the near future, despite having expanded more rapidly than the government’s annual target for much of this year.
The survey, covering April to June, revealed that consumers grew increasingly critical of income levels, job opportunities, and price stability. The release of these findings has become less consistent in recent years, with data for both the first and second quarters being published simultaneously on Friday, rather than at regular intervals as previously done.