Malaysia’s unemployment rate stayed at 3.5% for the fourth consecutive month in May, signaling resilience in the labour market, supported by an upbeat domestic economic momentum and an expansionary external front. But employment growth is expected to moderate in the second half of the year (2H2023) as external trade slows.

Many regional areas of Japan saw small and mid-sized firms aggressively raise wages, reflecting intensifying labour shortages, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) said on Monday, underscoring its growing conviction that wage hikes were broadening.

Japanese consumers may finally be shedding their decades-old frugal mindset, spending more on items that retailers were once too afraid to raise prices on and paving the way for the central bank to finally unwind its massive monetary stimulus.

Unusually hot weather boosted sales of sun screen and barbecue food in Britain last month, a British Retail Consortium survey showed on Tuesday, but consumers spent less on big-ticket items as high food prices continued to squeeze their budgets.

China's passenger vehicle sales fell in June, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Monday, as a stumbling economic recovery led to more consumer caution on big-ticket spending.

U.S. wholesale inventories were unchanged in May after declining for two straight months, suggesting inventory investment could support economic growth in the second quarter.