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News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
RBA rate cut at risk on more women finding full-time jobs
Australia's unemployment rate has improved in July as thousands of people found full-time work. Fresh figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 per cent in July, from 4.3 per cent. The fall in unemployment came as 24,500 people found work over the last month. This was largely in line with expectations of 35,000 new roles being created. Growth in employment was driven by full-time employment, which was up by 60,000 people, with a 36,000 person fall in part-time employment partly offsetting this rise. The number of female full-time workers grew by 40,000 while male full-time workers rose by 20,000. 'Early stages of a downturn' On Tuesday the RBA maintained its forecast for the full unemployment rate to sit around 4.3 per cent by December this year. While good news for workers, BDO Economics partner Anders Magnusson said the unemployment rate dampens hope of further interest rate relief. 'Today's labour force figures show the unemployment rate at 4.2 per cent, slightly below the Reserve Bank's forecast of 4.3 per cent, he said. 'While this still points to a gradual loosening in conditions, it suggests the labour market is holding up a little better than the RBA had anticipated.' Oxford economics head of macroeconomic forecasting Sean Langcake said the strong growth in full-time wages also helped boost the hours worked and contributed to a tick down in the underemployment rate. 'The labour market has been in a tight position for a protracted period, defying a broader slowdown in economic growth, he said. 'But the labour market now appears to be in the early stages of a downturn. Today's data are reassuring in that they suggest conditions are not deteriorating quickly. 'Nevertheless, weak economic momentum and global uncertainty will be strong headwinds for the labour market to overcome through the rest of the year.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Women power surge in full-time jobs
Australia's unemployment rate has improved in July as thousands of people found full-time work. Fresh figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 per cent in July, from 4.3 per cent. The fall in unemployment came as 24,500 people found work over the last month. This was largely in line with expectations of 35,000 new roles being created. Growth in employment was driven by full-time employment, which was up by 60,000 people, with a 36,000 person fall in part-time employment partly offsetting this rise. The number of female full-time workers grew by 40,000 while male full-time workers rose by 20,000. 'Early stages of a downturn' On Tuesday the RBA maintained its forecast for the full unemployment rate to sit around 4.3 per cent by December this year. While good news for workers, BDO Economics partner Anders Magnusson said the unemployment rate dampens hope of further interest rate relief. 'Today's labour force figures show the unemployment rate at 4.2 per cent, slightly below the Reserve Bank's forecast of 4.3 per cent, he said. 'While this still points to a gradual loosening in conditions, it suggests the labour market is holding up a little better than the RBA had anticipated.' Oxford economics head of macroeconomic forecasting Sean Langcake said the strong growth in full-time wages also helped boost the hours worked and contributed to a tick down in the underemployment rate. 'The labour market has been in a tight position for a protracted period, defying a broader slowdown in economic growth, he said. 'But the labour market now appears to be in the early stages of a downturn. Today's data are reassuring in that they suggest conditions are not deteriorating quickly. 'Nevertheless, weak economic momentum and global uncertainty will be strong headwinds for the labour market to overcome through the rest of the year.'
Medscape
5 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Common Phthalate Tied to Coronary Risk in Car Plant Workers
TOPLINE: Exposure to monoethyl phthalate (MEP) — a chemical commonly found in industrial and personal care products — was associated with a substantially elevated risk for subclinical coronary atherosclerosis among men working in a car assembly unit. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to assess whether urinary phthalates showed any association with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. They included 1119 Spanish male workers (mean age, 50.9 years) from a car assembly plant. A total of 11 urinary phthalate metabolites were measured using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Participants underwent CT scans between January 2011 and December 2014 to determine coronary artery calcium; subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was defined as a coronary artery calcium score ≥ 100 Agatston units. TAKEAWAY: Subclinical coronary atherosclerosis was identified in 114 men (10.2%). MEP was the phthalate with the highest median concentration; men with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis had a higher median MEP concentration than those without the condition (126.1 vs 99.3 µg/g creatinine). Each 1-unit increase in the natural logarithm of MEP was associated with a 21% higher prevalence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02-1.44). Monoisobutyl phthalate and mono-n-butyl phthalate showed a positive association with the condition, but this association did not reach statistical significance. IN PRACTICE: "Educational strategies might complement cardiovascular prevention by promoting behaviors that reduce phthalate exposure, such as choosing fragrance-free products, preferring glass containers over plastics, and minimizing ultraprocessed food consumption," the researchers noted. SOURCE: This study was led by Diana María Mérida, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. It was published online on August 06, 2025, in The American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. LIMITATIONS: This cross-sectional study could not imply whether phthalates caused subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. The findings may not be generalisable to women, older adults, or individuals from different occupational backgrounds or socioeconomic groups. Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites reflect only short-term exposure, but chronic diseases are usually linked to long-term exposures. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by the Health Research Fund from the State Secretary of R+D and FEDER/FSE, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
