SEOUL, July 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's consumption uncertainty mounted with the recent COVID-19 resurgence, a government report said Friday.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its monthly economic report, called Green Book, that the employment kept a sharp growth trend amid the continued export recovery and the improved domestic demand.
The ministry, however, noted that there was a possibility for consumption uncertainty to escalate with the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the latest tally, the country reported 1,536 more cases of COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, lifting the total number of infections to 175,046. The daily caseload hovered above 1,000 for the 10th consecutive day.
The government planned to adopt the toughest social-distancing guidelines in the Seoul metropolitan area for two weeks until July 25.
Recent economic indicators had yet to reflect a possible negative impact of the resurgence on private consumption.
Credit card spending gained 8.4 percent in June from a year earlier, continuing to grow for five straight months.
Revenue by department stores kept an upward trend for the fifth consecutive month, and revenue by online retailers soared 43.9 percent last month.
Sentiment among consumers over economic situation improved for the first six months of this year.
Revenue by discount outlets fell 2.4 percent in June from a year earlier, after expanding 6.8 percent in the previous month. The sale of locally-made passenger cars tumbled 25.7 percent last month.
The number of jobs increased 582,000 in June from a year earlier, maintaining a growth trend for four months in a row.
Export surged 39.7 percent in June from a year ago, keeping an upward trend for the eighth consecutive month. Enditem
