logo
Unemployment rate at 4.1 per cent since January

Unemployment rate at 4.1 per cent since January

News.com.au19-06-2025
HSBC Australia Chief Economist Paul Bloxham discusses the Australian unemployment rate and its impact on the labour market.
'I think the main thing to focus on is the unemployment rate, and the unemployment rate is steady at 4.1 per cent, which is quite a low rate,' Mr Bloxham told Sky News host Ross Greenwood.
'The unemployment rate's tracking sideways, the labour market's still actually fairly tight.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Live updates: Australian share market to open flat, Wall Street little changed, US Fed rate-cut expectations trimmed
Live updates: Australian share market to open flat, Wall Street little changed, US Fed rate-cut expectations trimmed

ABC News

timean hour ago

  • ABC News

Live updates: Australian share market to open flat, Wall Street little changed, US Fed rate-cut expectations trimmed

The Australian share market is set for a soft open as Wall Street ends flat, while a hotter-than-expected US producer prices report dampens expectations of potential interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. A report from the US Labor Department showed producer prices increased the most in three years in July due to a surge in the costs of goods and services, suggesting a broad pick-up in inflation was imminent. We'll bring you the latest on what's happening on the markets throughout the day in our live blog. Disclaimer: this blog is not intended as investment advice.

‘Floored': Aussies slam shady new cafe tactic
‘Floored': Aussies slam shady new cafe tactic

News.com.au

timean hour ago

  • News.com.au

‘Floored': Aussies slam shady new cafe tactic

It seems like every day, a new cafe or restaurant gets called out online for their exorbitant price tags. But this time, a Reddit post has gone viral for the opposite reason – cafes that have no price tags at all. This sneaky trend, which appears to be on the rise, leaves people blindsided when they reach the counter and realise what they have to pay. 'Prices are not getting displayed on food in cafes and bakeries?' the post in the r/Perth forum began. 'I mean, it's been happening for a few years and I'm sure it's probably an Australia-wide thing. 'I've noticed it with cafes all over the city that they deliberately don't display the prices. You have to ask what that tiny falafel wrap in the window, or small piece of lasagne or meat pie is going for.' The poster believes that the businesses know people don't like asking for the price, and would rather just accept it when the total is shown on the EFTPOS machine. 'I hate it. It's scammy and frustrating,' they concluded. According to the ACCC, a retailer doesn't have to display prices, but the customer must be informed of the price of an item before purchase. Businesses can communicate their prices in various ways, including in-store signage, online notifications, ordering apps, or verbally. Despite the practice being legal, commenters agreed it was frustrating. One person even called the tactic 'predatory'. 'When the price is higher than you expected, but you're already at the till, it's harder to speak up,' they said. 'It's so annoying!' someone else added. 'I like to know pricing so I can decide accordingly!' Another argued that by the time you're swiping your card, it's already too late to change your mind, so called it 'shady' behaviour. Others recalled experiences of being caught out by this move in the past. 'I was charged $23 for coffee and a small cake. Floored. I paid it but never went back,' one revealed. Some also shared how they've handled this situation before. 'I once yelled out from the other side of the deli, 'How much is this?' about ten times for different items, just to make a point,' one person commented. The trend among Australian cafes not displaying prices appears to be linked to ongoing economic pressures, particularly inflation and rising costs. Many cafes have faced increased costs for supplies, rent, wages, and utilities – making them hesitant to fix menu prices out of fear of frequent adjustments. 'If inflation stays low and as people get used to the higher prices, I think we'll see prices slowly start to be displayed again,' one commenter theorised. As another simply wrote, 'No price, no purchase'.

Parliamentary inquiry to probe Cook government's anti-'NIMBY' planning laws
Parliamentary inquiry to probe Cook government's anti-'NIMBY' planning laws

ABC News

time2 hours ago

  • ABC News

Parliamentary inquiry to probe Cook government's anti-'NIMBY' planning laws

A newly established parliamentary inquiry will scrutinise a controversial West Australian planning pathway used by developers vying to build multi-million-dollar projects. Backed by the Legislative Council on Tuesday, the inquiry will focus on WA's significant development pathway, which allows developers of major projects to sidestep local council approval. Opposition and crossbench MPs backed the committee over the Cook government's objections. Planning Minister John Carey accused the opposition and crossbench of being "anti-development", saying the system had allowed for the approval of $5 billion worth of projects. "They're proposing reforms that will put a critical handbrake on the Western Australian economy," he told parliament on Thursday. First introduced as a stimulus measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the significant development pathway was last year enshrined as a permanent feature of the planning system. The State Development Assessment Panel, now called the Significant Development Assessment Panel (SDAU), is considering controversial plans for luxury resorts at Gnarabup and Smiths Beach in WA's South West. The inquiry will also put a spotlight on the Cook government's plans for a street motorsport circuit in Perth's Burswood Park. The inquiry's select committee will be chaired by Liberal MLC Neil Thomson and composed of Liberal, Labor and crossbench MPs. Opposition Legislative Council leader Nick Goiran said it would be a fair way to look at WA's planning system. "It can look into any of these land transactions [and] planning decisions … they have the opportunity to call witnesses in, to summon them, to subpoena documents," he said. "A select committee of parliament doesn't have the power to stop any of these things, but they do have the power to call them in and hold them accountable." Two weeks ago, Mr Carey told a Sydney Institute forum the planning reforms had been designed to tackle "NIMBYism" — or "not in my backyard" attitudes. "I do want to address NIMBYism, or as I call them, the BANANA people: build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything," he said in the address. He spoke of the "balanced" planning decisions by the SDAU, which is made up of three planning professionals and two council members. Developer Saracen Properties opted to submit its plans for a $138 million luxury resort at Gnarabup through the significant development pathway. The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River opposes the multi-million-dollar resort, 280 kilometres south of Perth, but will not be the final decision maker. Shire President Julia Jean-Rice welcomed the inquiry. She said she was concerned the Cook government was "slowly but surely" removing the powers of local government. "We are not all NIMBY councils," Ms Jean-Rice said "We're the closest to the people, and quite often we feel the impacts of whatever is happening in the community; we're the people on the ground. Further up the coast at Yallingup, a group of residents has been fighting for a tourism village near Smiths Beach to be scaled back. Save Smiths Beach Action Group spokesperson David Mitchell said he hoped the inquiry would uncover answers for locals. "There's a lot of concerns that the SDAU process has really just created a vehicle for the developers to bypass proper assessment and transparency," he said "We hope that our project is used as a test case because this impacts all coastal areas around the state, not just Smiths Beach." The inquiry will have a year to hand down its findings.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store