Sharjah24 – Reuters: The Philippines' annual economic growth slowed in the third quarter as renewed COVID-19 restrictions crimped demand, giving the central bank more reason to keep interest rates at a record low for a while.
Although the Southeast Asian economy had recovered from five straight quarters of contraction in the three months to June, it lost momentum in the September quarter after the government reimposed strict curbs to contain a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
Gross domestic product expanded by 7.1% in the July-September period from a year earlier, the statistics agency said on Tuesday, slower than the upwardly revised 12% expansion in the previous quarter, but above the 4.8% forecast in a poll.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy grew 3.8% in September period.
Household consumption rose 7.1% in the third quarter from a year earlier, slightly slower than previous quarter's 7.3% growth, while government spending increased 13.6%, rebounding strongly from a 4.2% slump in April-June.
Unemployment rose to an eight-month high of 8.9% in September following the reimposition of strict lockdown measures in August in the capital region and nearby provinces.
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