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Daily Briefing: Singapore consumer prices rise for the first time since 2014; Singapore's workers have it easier than they might think
And get to know the next sub-merging market.
Consumer prices in Singapore rose in December for the first time in more than two years, adding to signs of recovery in the city-state’s economy. Lower oil costs and government measures to rein in property values have driven consumer prices down in the trade-dependent economy since November 2014. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, which uses the exchange rate as its main policy tool rather than interest rates, had forecast a pick-up in inflation to between 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent this year. That may give it reason to stick to its neutral policy stance at its next scheduled meeting in April at a time when exports are starting to grow. Read more here.
Job cuts in Singapore may be at the highest since 2009, but official data shows workers still have it easier than most. As local politicians seek to appease the population, the most recent figures show Singapore remains one of the easiest countries in the world to find work. The median period of unemployment for job-seekers last year was eight weeks, which is less than half that of Australia's and compares well with other developed economies. Read more here.
By one of the most common definition of “emerging markets,” U.S. markets – in an economy that by many measures is one of the most developed in the world – may soon start to take on emerging market characteristics found in countries like India, Brazil, Russia and Indonesia. And that could be very bad news for U.S. markets. Political risk expert (and a former boss of mine) Ian Bremmer defines emerging markets as “those countries where politics matters at least as much as economics for market outcomes”. This suggests that the usual suspects that investors look at for signs of market trajectory – economic growth, inflation, interest rates, for starters – are downgraded to only be as important as politics. And in some cases, individual leaders can change institutions, further swaying markets. Read more here.
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