SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's government has detected signs that the domestic economy is shaking off a slump, fueled by reviving domestic consumption and a semiconductor export boom, according to a report released on Friday.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its monthly report, called Green Book, that the South Korean economy recently showed signs of emerging from the first-half slowdown and displayed a recovery trend.
The ministry, however, noted that uncertainties remained, such as persisting employment difficulties for vulnerable groups, slow recovery in construction investment, and the impact of U.S. tariffs.
It warned against continued volatility in the global financial market and sluggishness in trade and growth amid the worsened trade environment, vowing to put in more efforts for the enhanced domestic demand and expand potential growth through projects on artificial intelligence and other innovative sectors.
Retail sales gained 3.5 percent in October from a month earlier, but facility investment tumbled 14.1 percent.
The consumer sentiment index climbed 2.6 points over the month to 112.4 in November, hovering above the long-term average of 100.
The daily average export jumped 13.3 percent in November from a year earlier due to solid semiconductor demand.
The number of jobs increased by 225,000 in November from a year earlier, faster than an expansion of 193,000 in the previous month.
Consumer prices rose 2.4 percent in November on a yearly basis, staying above the central bank's mid-term inflation target of 2 percent. ■