In Russia, the growth of retail sales accelerated and unemployment decreased in February

The Russian statistics office said that the growth of retail sales accelerated to 12.3 percent in February on an annual basis, following a 9.1 percent expansion in January. The average of analysts’ expectations was a more modest 11 percent increase for February.

In the first two months of this year, Russian retail turnover increased by 10.7 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to experts, retail sales in Russia will grow by 2.2 percent this year, and according to government forecasts, by 3.6 percent, compared to last year, when it expanded by 6.4 percent.