Why shock drop in jobs won’t shift RBA rate cut bets
Fewer older Australians returned to work in February, driving a surprise fall in jobs and workforce participation but the labour market remains tight overall.
The economy
Australia's economic growth forecasts have been downgraded due to Donald Trump's trade war, keeping its most important financial leaders on their toes.
Stretched valuations, risk of a US recession and lingering geopolitical issues have set the scene for an unsteady 2025 for global and Australian shares.
One state has gone backwards in the latest recommended GST revenue carve-up with billions of dollars flowing to another as its population booms.
The economy
Consumer confidence surges on back of interest rate cut but…
Australia's economic outlook is looking rosier as inflation continues to fall and following the first decline in interest rates in more than four years.
The economy
Labor set for budget boost thanks to higher tax take
Australia's bottom line will be $11 billion better off, if the government releases a budget before the election, a leading economist predicts.
The economy
Rich getting richer: wealth divide hits record high
Australia's wealth divide reached its worst level in more than two decades, after excluding a temporary narrowing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stronger goods and services exports have pushed the Australian economy out of a hole, with GDP rising 0.6 per cent in the December quarter, above RBA forecasts.
Fresh inflation figures should help convince the Reserve Bank to cut rates again in May, despite a slight uptick in underlying price growth, economists say.
The Trump administration's tariffs will inflict less damage on Australia's economy than others but their impact on inflation is less clear, central bankers say.
Ongoing tightness in the labour market won't overly concern the Reserve Bank in its fight against inflation, says one economist after surprising jobs figures.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says ongoing growth in real wages is a good thing, but the RBA will be more encouraged that wage rises are showing signs of slowing.
An AAP survey of 32 leading Australian economists has tipped the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates this week, but more than one in five remain unconvinced.
Floods in Australia's north are expected to cut economic output and nudge up banana and sugar prices, as the opposition weighs in on a forecast rate cut.
States' "lax financial discipline" has earned a rebuke from a credit ratings giant, which says they are at risk of paying higher interest bills to service debt.
Strong retail spending figures are not expected to deter the Reserve Bank from cutting rates at its next meeting as one big bank lowers fixed-rate loans.
Home values held firm in January as a shallow and short-lived housing downturn nears its end, with new supply coming too slowly to solve unaffordability.
The strength of Australia's labour market has kept the Reserve Bank from cutting interest rates but growing evidence suggests it's not as crucial as thought.
More than 50,000 jobs were added to the economy in December, well above analyst expectations, keeping RBA concerns about a tight labour market alive.
