Monthly Archives: June 2012

Qld employer surveys suggest solid employment growth over rest of 2012

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Gene Tunny

In contrast to the depressing national NAB survey released today (see MacroBusiness for coverage), recent surveys of Queensland employers suggest a rebound in employment in the State, as reported in the Courier-Mail today (Job prospects on the up): According to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Labour market, Macroeconomy | 1 Comment

Qld credit rating downgrade by Fitch would be unjustifiable

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Ratings agency Fitch has hinted it will downgrade Queensland’s credit rating again, according to a report in today’s Courier-Mail: QUEENSLAND’S battered credit rating looks set to take another hit with ratings agency Fitch preparing to downgrade the state’s outlook yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Macroeconomy | 2 Comments

Weak labour market consistent with Qld’s mediocre National Accounts data

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Gene Tunny

After seeing today’s new ABS Labour Force data, I’m worrying a bit more about the state of the Queensland economy. Employment in Queensland appears to have contracted slightly in recent months. Here’s a chart I’ve borrowed from OESR’s information brief: … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | 1 Comment

Business Council bemoans high cost of regulation

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The new Business Council of Australia (BCA) report released today Pipeline or Pipe Dream? presents interesting data on the high cost of delivering investment projects in Australia and comments that this could threaten future investment, exports and employment. Some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure | Leave a comment

Queensland had lacklustre March quarter, while WA is hero of National Accounts

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I’m unclear why today’s ABS March quarter National Accounts have generated such surprise among commentators, as the data were wholly consistent with the two-speed economy we know we have. To me, the only new information was that the mining boom … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Mining | Leave a comment

Corporate welfare stabilises as Commonwealth responds to budgetary pressures

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I was pleased to see in the Productivity Commission’s latest Trade and Assistance Review, released today, that industry assistance from the Commonwealth slightly fell in 2010-11, and no doubt this is a reflection of policy decisions taken in response to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Industry policy | Leave a comment

Rate cut looks very likely as markets panic

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Gene Tunny

After spending a good part of late 2008 worrying about an economic crisis that didn’t occur, at least not in Australia, I find it hard to worry too much about the latest international news that is panicking markets across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy | Leave a comment

CBA sees risks to Qld resources sector

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Gene Tunny

My former Treasury colleague Lachlan Shaw, Commodity Analyst at the Commonwealth Bank, has made some interesting comments regarding the outlook for the Queensland resources sector, as reported in the Toowoomba Chronicle yesterday: “Queensland is, on a range of estimates, one … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining, Queensland Government | 1 Comment