ECO
Work, outsource, relax
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | People are working longer hours on some measures, but the farming out of household chores has freed up time.
Keep European negatives in perspective
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | The year has begun with more horror headlines – and understandably so, given that a giant sword labelled ‘Europe’ hangs over the world economy.
Banking on virtue
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Investment in the nation is riding high but it is important to focus on the virtues of diversification.
Back to the future
| Shane OliverEconomy in Action | Indicators are a reminder: there really is nothing new under the sun.
Go with the flow
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | We can’t ignore how the world is changing and workers would do better to adapt to it, than resist it.
Growth binge over, time to trim down
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | Australian banks have had a good run and now make up a disproportionately large share of the economy, but there may be lean times ahead for the finance sector.
China main contender for No 1 spot
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | There are two economic measures by which we can rank the 230 nations.
Three European scenarios ... none good
| Shane OliverEconomy in Action | How a European recession is most likely to affect you.
Building our wealth
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | The average household wealth is $714,320, but its constituent parts are changing.
The virtual corporation
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | A slimmer company should be more nimble and profitable, as well as creating huge business opportunities for others.
Taming Chinese inflation
| Alan CarrollEconomy in Action | Efforts to cool inflationary pressures in China are having an impact.
Too much for too few, too little for many
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | As the recent Occupy Wall Street demonstrations show, the rich have grown richer while the poor are growing angry.
Mining gain, manufacturing pain
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | Structural change hurts, but governments should resist the temptation to adopt local content and procurement rules that amount to protectionism.
The infrastructure boom
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Australia is spending more on infrastructure than you might think.
Less work, more pay
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | We work less and get paid more than at any point in human history.
Politicians expose us to Japan’s disease
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | Japan is a nation that still has big problems: deflation hasn’t been defeated and growth remains poor.
China the biggest threat to global growth
| Kevin ChinneryEconomy in Action | There is something scarier than Greece. A default there might not necessarily sink world growth, but an inflation outbreak in China certainly could.
World debt – it’s all relative
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | EU countries like Italy, Ireland, Spain and Portugal cannot really point a finger at Greece.
Global outlook: from bad to worse
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | There is no easy solution to the world’s economic problems.
Yuan policy game changer
| Alan CarrollEconomy in Action | China is taking steps to implement its 12th Five Year Plan and expand the use of the yuan in international markets.
Incomes and outlays
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Households are earning more than ever but spending less.
Supply chain pressure
| Andrew Heathcote
The recent decision by Target to cut its suppliers’ margins by 5 per cent says a lot about the state of the retail market.
What’s in store for our children
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Which industries will employ the next generation of workers?
All change on the industry front
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Rather than resisting change, we would all be better off accepting that and working with it.
China bumpy but bouncy
| Alan CarrollEconomy in Action | Asian nations are increasingly connected with China, with many worried about how long its strong economy can last.
Interest rates are our key defence
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | If we are to have another financial crisis, what should the response be from politicians and central bankers?
Sharemarket volatility is the norm
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | With a different view each day on global economics, investors think that any direction will do.
We have flaws but we’re tough
| Shane OliverEconomy in Action | Australia should be in good enough shape to withstand another global recession.
Real misery a relative thing
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | In the current business cycle there are many reasons for us to be happy.
Our productivity black hole
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Productivity has stalled and our approach to it needs some rethinking.