Our workforce has changed dramatically in the past 25 years and its evolution continues in some surprising areas.
Australian bureau of statistics
Business As Usual: Ireland emerges from recession … US housing sector is cactus …
A growing economy has led Ireland out of recession, the housing market in the US is still in a bad way and the Slovakia government is a new worry for Europe.
Slowdown in March as economy goes off the boil
If it wasn’t for another strong quarter of government spending, especially the federal schools program, the Australian economy might have been hard pressed to remain on the positive side of the ledger.
Interest rates send building approvals into a tailspin
A very sharp slump in building approvals will keep the Reserve Bank’s hands from the interest rate lever later today and for several more months as the size of the fall has come as a surprise.
Business As Usual: Rosy future for capex … Apple eats Microsoft … Club Austerity’s newest member …
Taxpayers to chip in for Foster’s, Foster’s write-offs could total $2.5 billion, UK’s Channel Five on the market and BSkyB close to buying Virgin Media TV and Apple takes the most-valuable title.
Central bank calls for CPI to be reported monthly
The Reserve Bank has called for the Australian Bureau of Statistics to move the Consumer Price Index to a more frequent publication schedule, urging that it be published monthly, rather than quarterly.
Bill to bring new pressure to online predators
Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon intends to introduce a bill which would make it an offence for an adult to misrepresent their age online for the purpose of meeting minors, writes Stubborn Mule.
Political snippets: What inflationary pressures?
Usually there is nothing more interesting crashing a politician’s event than a greenie in a koala suit. Except, when it’s your fame hungry ex-lover. Plus, pollies avoiding shopping centres and hip-hop meets the holocaust.
ABS national accounts: the pause that refreshes
There was nothing in today’s September quarter national accounts from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to confuse or alarm anyone, perhaps not even the federal Opposition, writes Glenn Dyer.
Eating out boosts retail sales figures
Australian retail sales continued their recent erratic course with a rise of 0.3% in October, driven perhaps by our liking for eating out or eating cheaply.
Greece’s economic death far from exaggerated
Greece’s economy has emerged as the sickest in Europe. And it can only get worse from here, writes Glenn Dyer.
Suicide: the silent epidemic
Suicides rates in Australia have been miscalculated by up to 30% and has not decreased in the last decade. Repeated systematic failures of the mental health system are blamed for the figures, writes Ruth Pollard.
Shoppers’ self-esteem edges lower
This month’s reported fall in consumer confidence was relatively tiny given the torrent of economic bad news both here and overseas, writes Glenn Dyer.
Housing finance hits six-year high
Kevin Rudd’s boosting of first home buyers grants sparked a jump in housing finance in December, writes Glenn Dyer.
Disadvantage index: The best and least worse of NSW
Go west in Sydney, young man, and you will find neither fame nor fortune writes Richard Farmer in his continuing series on social disadvantage in Australia.
A tale of two towns: from Duck Creek to Tindal
The release of the ABS data on the most — and least — disadvantaged Census Collection Districts in the nation has thrown up some wonderful ironies, writes an NT insider.
Meet the Jilkminggans — the most disadvantaged Australians
Throughout the week, Crikey will present profiles of the best of the best places in Australia, and the worst of the very worst, writes Richard Farmer.
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Give ‘em a serve Julia … The wise Aristotle … No solos in this government … Eat a whale, save the planet … The Daily Reality Check … The Pick of this Morning’s Political Coverage …
Housing approvals tank, banks face a tough call
The Australian banks have a difficult decision to make after the rate rise: home lending, their most profitable business, isn’t doing well and housing approvals tanked in December, writes Glenn Dyer.
Why a rate rise will only take house prices higher
Interest rate rises are supposed to slow the economy … how then do we explain the surge in house prices in 2007, asks Glen Dyer?
What’s going on with the economy? Nobody has a clue
Australia’s business economists have run into a bit of rough trot with their forecasts for major economic statistics. In the past week they have been wide of the mark, in fact very wide of the mark, on a series of major figures from the ABS, writes Glenn Dyer.
Ramming the shears: non-bank home lending plummets
Home lending by non-bank lenders fell in a heap in September, with raw figures showing a 22% plunge in the number of home loans made, writes Glenn Dyer.
As Glenn Stevens said: ”Something needs to be done”
John Howard’s nightmare is looming: his re-election campaign could be the first to suffer an interest rate rise, writes Glenn Dyer.
The CPI will play a major part in the election campaign
Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index will play a major part, one way or another, in the election campaign, writes Glenn Dyer.
Investment banks predict an interest rate rise
Investment Bank, JP Morgan has made a big call saying in its note to clients today that it thinks the Reserve Bank will raise rates next month, writes Glenn Dyer.
