SA’s economic activity is likely to have remained subdued, data out this week — including labour statistics, retail sales and consumer spending — are bound to show. Local data on the agenda include the Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2016, which Statistics SA is due to release on Tuesday. The survey was expected to show the unemployment rate at 26.4% compared with 26.6% in the previous quarter, Investec economist Kamilla Kaplan said. Job creation in the private sector was expected to be weak, in line with stagnant economic activity and depressed business confidence. There was scope for public sector employment to have risen temporarily because of the municipal elections in August, she said. Retail sales data, due for release by Statistics SA on Wednesday, are also expected to remain subdued as consumer confidence and high unemployment take their toll. Growth in retail sales for September was forecast to have risen to 1% year on year from 0.2% year on year in August, rem...
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