What happened to the dollar in July? The Australian dollar (AUD) has risen sharply against the US dollar (USD) during July 2017 (see chart 1). Indeed, the AUD is now nudging up to 80 US cents, for the first time…
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In my last blog on manufacturing employment (November 2016), I reported that Australian manufacturing was experiencing a limited but very welcome jobs recovery in the first half 2016. This was in line with the results of Ai Group’s Australian PMI®,…
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In the third and final instalment of our Blog series on energy cost increases, Tennant Reed investigates the options available to government and industry in responding to the escalating costs of electricity and gas. Businesses and household across eastern and…
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In the second instalment of our three-part Blog series on energy cost increases, Tennant Reed investigates the causes of recent price hikes in both electricity and gas. Businesses and households across eastern and southern Australia are starting to see a…
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Businesses and households across eastern and southern Australia are starting to see a new wave of energy cost increases. These will be painful for many, and a serious blow to the competitiveness of some trade-exposed industries. Many want to know:…
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Manufacturing is often thought to be in permanent decline in Australia. In 2016, however, the reality has been very different to this myth and, for some manufacturing businesses and employees, a far more positive story. Indeed, as of August 2016,…
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There have been some positive signs around local economic conditions since the start of the 2015-16 financial year, with Ai Group’s performance indices for the manufacturing, services and construction sectors all showing long-overdue expansion after years of weakness. Other partial…
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The RBA held the cash rate at a historical low of 2.25% following its April monthly board meeting this week, although it signalled there could be another interest rate cut in the coming months. Very low interest rates have already…
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Each quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publishes a survey of private capital expenditure by business over the year ahead. The Capex survey, as it is called, gives an indication of the pace of business investment in the forthcoming…
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The strength of Australia’s residential property market and the possible risks it poses to the economy have come under the spotlight from the Reserve Bank and the media in recent months. The Reserve Bank has expressed concern in various speeches…
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