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2026-02-19 07:42:38
[Australian Employment Data to be Released Soon, Potentially Strengthening Expectations of a May Rate Hike] Australia's January employment data is set to be released this morning Beijing time, and the market widely expects the data to support a potential rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in May. Economists predict that employment will increase by approximately 15,000 in January, while the unemployment rate may rise slightly from 4.1% in December to 4.2%. Despite the slight increase in the unemployment rate expectation, the central bank still considers the overall labor market to be too tight. The RBA announced a rate hike in early February, citing a tight labor market as a key factor. Currently, the swap market indicates that traders are betting on an 80% probability of another rate hike in May, and the upcoming employment data will be a crucial reference for verifying this expectation.
