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Economics

Chief economist update: Labor Day mayday

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 1 MAY 2020
It would have been funny had it not been for the circumstances in which we find ourselves. For right on the eve of Labor Day, the US Department of Labor reports that more than 30 million Americans have now applied for unemployment benefits.

Chief economist update: No cheers as RBA hits inflation target

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 30 APR 2020
Under normal circumstances and just looking at the numbers, you would assume that acceleration in consumer prices in the March quarter is the start of something good. But is it?

Gargantuan stimulus needed to survive economic disaster

ALLY SELBY  |  WEDNESDAY, 29 APR 2020
Economic experts are calling on the government to commit to "gargantuan" fiscal stimulus measures, amounting to at least 15-20% of Australia's GDP per year for the next two to three years.

Chief economist update: Approaching peak isolation

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 29 APR 2020
There's only so much isolation an ordinary person can take, and latest data shows the impact social restrictions are having on economic activity. But could lifting them make things even worse?

Chief economist update: BOJ expands Enhancement of Monetary Easing

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 28 APR 2020
In March, the Bank of Japan added another monetary policy term to our vocabulary - Enhancement of Monetary Easing. So what name do they give the enhanced policies announced this month?

VIC, TAS lead Australia: CommSec

ELIZA BAVIN  |  MONDAY, 27 APR 2020
Victoria remains Australia's strongest performing economy, but it now shares top spot with Tasmania, according to the latest CommSec State of the States report.

Businesses urged to apply for JobKeeper

ELIZA BAVIN  |  MONDAY, 27 APR 2020
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise ombudsman Kate Carnell is concerned that many small businesses may not be applying for the JobKeeper scheme.

COVID-19 will bite into credit ratings

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 27 APR 2020
The countries contributing the most to fight COVID-19 are the same countries that stand to lose their AAA ratings.

Chief economist update: Turns out Brexit was heaven

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 24 APR 2020
For the best part of three years, Brexit was on every Brits mind - that is, until COVID-19 hit.

Chief economist update: Thank goodness for Sorbent

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 23 APR 2020
They were loathed, vilified and even arrested but the hordes of panic-buyers and toilet paper hoarders that invaded every possible retailer in order to stockpile just may have collectively limited the widely-expected March quarter contraction in the ...