Financial News: Australia Unemployment Data Due On Thursday

Australia Unemployment Data Due On Thursday

05/20/2026 - 18:04:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - Australia will on Thursday release April numbers for unemployment, highlighting a bust day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The jobless rate is expected to hold steady at 4.3 percent, with the addition of 16,700 jobs following the increase of 17,900 jobs in March. The participation rate is also seen unchanged at 66.8 percent.

Australia also will see May results for the manufacturing, services and composite PMIs from S&P Global; in April, their scores were 51.3, 50.7 and 50.4, respectively.

New Zealand will provide April figures for imports, exports and trade balance. In March, imports were worth NZ$7.25 billion and exports were at NZ$7.94 billion for a trade surplus of NZ$698 million.

Japan will release March numbers for core machinery orders and April data for imports, exports and trade balance. Machinery orders are expected to sink 7.7 percent on month and rise 4.5 percent on year after surging 13/6 percent on month and 24.7 percent on year in February.

Imports are expected to rise 8.3 percent on year, easing from 10.9 percent in March. Exports are called higher by an annual 9.3 percent, down from 11.5 percent in the previous month. The trade deficit is pegged at 29.7 billion yen following the 643.0 billion yen surplus a month earlier.

Japan also will see May results for the manufacturing, services and composite PMIs from S&P Global; in April, their scores were 55.1, 51.0 and 52.2, respectively.

Taiwan will release Q1 numbers for gross domestic product, with forecasts suggesting an expansion of 13.69 percent following the 12.65 percent gain in the three months prior.

Hong Kong will provide April data for consumer prices; in March, inflation was flat on month and up 1.7 percent on year.

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