Australia Unemployment Data Due On Thursday

(RTTNews) - Australia will on Thursday release January figures for unemployment, setting the pace for a modest day in Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The jobless rate is tipped to ease to 6.5 percent from 6.6 percent in December, with the addition of 40,000 jobs following the increase of 50,000 in the previous month. The participation rate is called steady at 66.2 percent.

The central bank in Indonesia will wrap up its monetary policy meeting and then announce its decision on interest rates. The bank is expected to trim its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, to 3.50 percent from 3.75 percent.

Hong Kong will see unemployment data for January; in December, the jobless rate was 6.6 percent.