Tag Archives: employment

Surprisingly good jobs data shows economy’s resilience

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I am quoted in today’s Courier-Mail regarding yesterday’s surprisingly good jobs data published by the ABS (e.g. see chart above): In a sign the state is working through the mining downturn, there have been 50,800 jobs added since the Palaszczuk … Continue reading →

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

QIRC hearing important case on retail trading hours

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission is currently considering an application from the National Retail Association, which represents big retailers such as Coles and Woolworths, for standardised trading hours across South East Queensland, which would extend opening hours, e.g. up to … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Qld employment growth is great news, but it is still not strong from historical perspective

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Wisely, Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt did not get too excited over yesterday’s employment numbers, which were surprisingly strong at a national level, with the Treasurer noting, regarding the State unemployment rate, “While it’s welcome news that the seasonally adjusted unemployment … Continue reading →

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Big divide between SEQ and rest of Qld in jobs growth

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Looking at the data in Queensland Treasury’s latest briefing on regional employment, it appears that the bulk of jobs growth that is occurring in Queensland is occurring in the South-East, particularly on the Gold Coast, and many parts of regional … Continue reading →

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Great RBA speech highlighting new labour market flexibility and links with NZ labour market

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Branch of the Economic Society of Australia, of which I’m the Secretary, was delighted yesterday to host a speech by the Assistant Governor (Economic) of the Reserve Bank of Australia Christopher Kent on Adjustments in the Labour Market. … Continue reading →

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PC concludes there are some adverse employment impacts from minimum wage increases

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The President of the Queensland Council of Unions is reported in the Brisbane Times this morning as noting “There is no empirical evidence that cutting wages creates more jobs” (Qld unions to make penalty rates election battlefield). In my view, … Continue reading →

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

Government right to consider migration for aged care, child care and disability care jobs

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Gene Tunny

One of the most interesting things I did while at the Treasury was to help develop the program for the first G20 meeting in Australia, which was a workshop on Demographic Challenges and Migration, held in Sydney in August 2005, … Continue reading →

Posted in Migration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cafe culture & tourism helping Qld endure end of mining boom

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Gene Tunny

May 2015 employment-by-industry data published by the ABS yesterday confirm some points I’ve been making for the last couple of months (see chart above), particularly that Queensland is enduring the shock from the end of the mining boom relatively well, … Continue reading →

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Qld bouncing back nicely after technical recession in 2014

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The ABS labour force data for May give me much greater confidence that Queensland is bouncing back nicely from the technical recession we experienced over much of 2014 due to the end of the mining boom (see chart above). Queensland’s … Continue reading →

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

Qld losing economic State of Origin at the moment

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Gene Tunny

On the day of the first State of Origin game for 2015, it seems timely to reflect on Queensland’s recent economic performance relative to NSW. Alas, it has not been great, with Queensland actually recording a slight loss of jobs … Continue reading →

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