Category Archives: Macroeconomy

Opening remarks to Qld Parliamentary Inquiry on economic response to COVID-19

Posted on July 14, 2020 by

Yesterday I was part of a panel of economic experts consulted by the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into the state government’s economic response to COVID-19. The notes I used for my opening remarks are reproduced below. The proceedings were broadcast via … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Health, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s going on with the Aussie dollar – my latest video

Posted on July 12, 2020 by

Morgans Chief Economist Michael Knox wrote a great note a couple of weeks ago on Why is the Australian dollar so strong. It’s a nice, clear description of what’s been happening to the Australian dollar in recent months. Michael concluded … Continue reading →

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Australian coverage of my upcoming Qld Parliamentary Inquiry appearance

Posted on July 10, 2020 by

Thanks to Sarah Elks for her story in The Australian today regarding my upcoming appearance at the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into the state government’s economic response to the pandemic: Coronavirus: Queensland’s small-business grants ‘are a waste of money’ First, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Upcoming Qld Parliamentary COVID-19 Inquiry appearance

Posted on July 7, 2020 by

Next Monday I’ll be appearing, via Zoom, at a public hearing of the Queensland Parliament’s Inquiry into the Queensland Government’s economic response to COVID-19. I’m a member of a Panel of Economic Experts which also includes UQ Professor John Quiggin, … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Deloitte highlights trade tensions with China and lower commodity prices as risks to Qld recovery

Posted on July 6, 2020 by

According to today’s Courier-Mail, Deloitte’s new Business Outlook report highlights the risks to Queensland’s economic recovery from lower commodity prices and trade tensions with China affecting our commodity, tourism, and education exports. Deloitte also rightly mentions the risk to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, China, Floods, Macroeconomy, Mining, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retail rebound in Australia – latest video

Posted on July 4, 2020 by

My latest video is about the retail rebound revealed by the May Retail Trade data published by the ABS yesterday (Retail turnover rises 16.9 per cent in May). You may also be interested in the Queensland Treasury Retail Trade brief … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Premier’s border decision helps, but it’s still early days in any recovery from virus recession

Posted on July 1, 2020 by

The Queensland Premier’s decision to reopen the border to non-Victorian interstate travellers and to bring forward the relaxation of a range of restrictions will no doubt provide a bit of a boost to the economy (e.g. the Courier-Mail is reporting … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Aussie unemployment & underemployment video

Posted on June 27, 2020 by

In my latest video, I expand on my post from last Monday True Queensland unemployment rate around 12% and discuss just how bad the Australian labour market is at the moment. Thanks to those readers who commented on the post … Continue reading →

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

True Qld unemployment rate around 12%

Posted on June 22, 2020 by

The true Queensland unemployment rate is around 12% rather than the official 7.9%. I’m not suggesting the ABS is being tricky. The ABS is accurately applying the internationally accepted Labour Force Statistics methodology. But we must look beyond the ABS … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Official Qld unemployment rate of 7.9% doesn’t tell the full story

Posted on June 19, 2020 by

It’s obvious the official unemployment rate figures from the ABS are understating the true unemployment rate due to large numbers of people having left the labour force, evidenced by the collapse in the workforce participation rate. The official estimates for … Continue reading →

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