November Consumption Drops 3.3%, Largest Decline in 21 Months [3-Minute Brief]

[At a Glance]
1. Retail sales plunge in November, while production and investment see slight rebounds
2. Business sentiment hits highest level since July last year
3. Corporate hiring slows amid economic downturn... Employment rate for college graduates declines

MARKET INDEX : Year to date

○All three major New York stock indexes closed lower, marking three consecutive days of declines.

○Concerns over an AI bubble persist amid a lack of catalysts.

○FOMC minutes reveal disagreements over a potential rate cut in December.

Top3 NEWS

■ "Has the holiday sales boom ended?" Consumption down 3.3%... Largest drop in 21 months (Comprehensive)

○Industrial Activity Trends for November 2025
○"Base effect compared to October, which included Chuseok and other holidays"
○Total industrial production up 0.9%, facility investment up 1.5%

■ Business sentiment hits highest since July last year... "U.S. facility investment sectors improve"

○Bank of Korea, December business survey results and Economic Sentiment Index (ESI)
○Year-end effect for non-manufacturing + improvement in U.S. facility investment sectors for manufacturing
○Still below the baseline value of 100... Too early for optimism

■ Average income '3.426 million won'... Employment rate for college graduates falls for the first time since 2020

○Employment rate for college graduates: 69.5%
○First decline since 2020
○By major, 'medical and pharmaceutical' fields have the highest employment rate at 79.4%

Graphic News: 2025 IPO volume surpasses 4.5 trillion won... Clear signs of market recovery

○77 companies listed... IPO volume up 15% year-on-year
○Firm commitment system intensifies company-by-company selection
○Forecasts suggest polarization will become even more pronounced in 2026

the Chart: K-Food & Beauty lead the way... Emerging as new growth engines for Korean exports

○Record-high exports of food and cosmetics
○U.S. is the largest market, with growth rates also rising in Europe and the Middle East
○Ramen cements its status as a representative item for Korean food exports

Today's Key Schedule

○Domestic

08:00 Consumer Price Index (YoY) (December)

○International

06:30 U.S. API Weekly Crude Oil Stock

10:30 China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (December)

10:30 China Composite PMI (December)

10:45 Caixin China Manufacturing PMI (MoM) (December)

22:30 U.S. Initial Jobless Claims

◇Lunch & Evening Commute Weather

○Lowest temperature: -8℃ (▼5℃) ｜Highest temperature: -3℃ (▼5℃)
○Chance of precipitation: 0% in the morning | 0% in the afternoon
○Fine dust: Good in the morning | Good in the afternoon

Just 3 minutes for essential, time-saving, cost-effective economic news. Published daily at 8 a.m.