Category Archives: Labour market

Is employment a lagging indicator of the economy?

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Gene Tunny

A tendency has developed among commentators to dismiss the relevance of discouraging employment data, based on the view that the labour market is a lagging indicator of the economy (e.g., a recent post by a prominent Australian economic commentator: Crappy … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Sorry to tell you, QTC, but the labour market is not a lagging indicator

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I’m glad Queensland Treasury Corporation (QTC) remains optimistic about the economic outlook, even after last week’s discouraging labour force data, but I’m afraid one reason behind its optimism is unfounded. In its Weekly Market and Economics Review sent out via … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Removing second-hand car import restrictions could significantly lower car prices

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I was happy to learn from a former Canberra colleague yesterday that I’m cited in the Productivity Commission’s January 2014 Position Paper on the car industry, regarding the benefits that would come from removing the restriction on second-hand car imports. … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy, Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Minimal threat to Qld economy from car industry shutdown

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The demise of Australia’s car manufacturing industry was always inevitable, but even I have been surprised at the pace with which Ford, GM Holden and now Toyota have announced their plans to cease production in Australia. While the plant closures … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy, Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Why is training in oil & gas drilling fee-free?

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government’s blueprint for reform of vocational education and training (VET), Great Skills Real Opportunities, which was released in June last year, goes a long way toward creating a more efficient and responsive VET sector, but falls short in … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Labour market, Mining | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Qld jobs market remains sluggish – unlikely trend unemployment rate fell last month

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Today’s labour force data from the ABS confirmed that the jobs market remains sluggish, with Queensland’s unemployment rate at 5.9 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. Unfortunately, the ABS data aren’t very precise for Queensland and it’s hard to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Additional maps on average incomes in Qld

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Average wage and salary incomes of residents of mining regions in Queensland rival those of residents in the Western suburbs of Brisbane, according to the ABS’s new small area income data (see maps below for the whole of Queensland and … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

West is best – high income earners love Brisbane’s leafy western suburbs

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Gene Tunny

I’ve mapped the ABS’s latest small area income data for Brisbane below, and it shows, unsurprisingly, the leafy western suburbs remain popular with high income earners. (For greater clarity, you can right click and open the map in a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Labour market, Transport | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Deloitte forecasts huge drop in resources sector construction jobs

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Gene Tunny

I noticed the Mackay Daily Mercury (Investment drought to kill resources-boom building jobs) has picked up an interesting new report from the Australian Workplace and Productivity Agency: Resources Sector Skills Needs 2013. The report contains some interesting projections from Deloitte … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Mining | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Signs are good, but Qld economy not roaring back yet

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Paul Syvret in the Courier-Mail today has a good summary of recent positive economic news for Queensland (Queensland economy recovers from GFC with new jobless low of 5.6pc), but I think some of the commentators he interviewed are getting a … Continue reading →

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