2018.09.1322:10:00UTC+00China Retail Sales Surge 9.0% On Year In August

Retail sales in China spiked 9.0 percent on year in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.

That topped forecasts for an increase of 8.8 percent, which would have been unchanged from the July reading.

The bureau also said that industrial production advanced an annual 6.1 percent - matching forecasts and up from 6.0 percent in the previous month.

Fixed asset investment was up 5.3 percent on year, shy of expectations for 5.6 percent and down from 5.5 percent a month earlier.

Finally, the surveyed jobless rate came in at 5.0 percent - down from 5.1 percent in July.