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Economics

Total job vacancies in February quarter fall 3.3%

AAP  |  THURSDAY, 1 APR 2004
Job vacancies fell 3.3% in the three months to February, new figures showed today.

Manufacturing shows strong demand in March quarter: survey

AAP  |  THURSDAY, 1 APR 2004
Australia's manufacturing sector continues to show strong demand in the March quarter, according to a new index.

Government rejects certain superannuation changes

AAP  |  WEDNESDAY, 31 MAR 2004
The government today rejected a Senate push for it to provide 100% financial assistance when superannuation schemes are plundered due to fraud or theft.

Retail sales up 0.1% in February: ABS

AAP  |  WEDNESDAY, 31 MAR 2004
Retail sales edged up just 0.1% in February, new figures showed today, further reducing any chance of an interest rate rise next week.

Vaile says trade figures take pressure off interest rates

AAP  |  WEDNESDAY, 31 MAR 2004
Figures showing Australia's trade gap with the rest of the world was narrowing indicated interest rates did not need to rise, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said yesterday.

Housing market continues to slow despite Februrary approval rise

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 30 MAR 2004
Australian building approvals unexpectedly rose 3.2% in February but the gain may signal a demand and supply balance that isn't positive for the housing market, economists warned.

Household spending pushes economy as business investment slows

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 30 MAR 2004
Household spending will keep pushing the economy for the next two years as business investment slows to a crawl, a new survey has found.

Farmer confidence falls across Australia: Rabobank

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 30 MAR 2004
A strong Australian dollar and volatile commodity prices have dented local farmers' confidence in the rural economy, a survey has revealed.

BAD tax to be scrapped

AAP  |  MONDAY, 29 MAR 2004
State and territory governments today agreed to shoot down the Bank Accounts Debit (BAD) tax more than four years after Treasurer Peter Costello put the tax in his sights.

Farmers should get more tax breaks: report

AAP  |  WEDNESDAY, 24 MAR 2004
Landholders and farmers need more tax incentives to invest in plans to save the natural environment, a new report has found.