Vital Signs Series

Sluggish business investment shows caution is king

May 27, 2016 06:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Vital Signs is a weekly economic wrap from UNSW economics professor and Harvard PhD Richard Holden (@profholden). Vital Signs aims to contextualise weekly economic events and cut through the noise of the data impacting...

Accusations and slogans reduce Treasurers' Debate to a yawn

May 27, 2016 06:05 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

I havent fallen asleep during the day for decades, but I came pretty close today watching the Treasurers debate between Scott Morrison and Chris Bowen on the major issue of the election campaign - economic management. I...

Debt-relief finally arrives for Greece

May 25, 2016 07:39 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Last nights 11 hour marathon talk between Greece and its creditors has finally yielded some results. Creditors have finally agreed to provide short, medium and long term relief to better manage Greeces 180% debt to GDP...

How Europe's industrial cities bounced back from the brink of ruin

May 24, 2016 16:35 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

From Sheffield to Torino, Lille to Leipzig, Belfast to Bilbao, Europes industrial cities are no strangers to hard times. Faced with depleted resources, plummeting populations and urban degradation, these cities struggled...

Nikkei Flash PMI data in May shows Japan manufacturing sector slips further into contraction

May 23, 2016 13:33 pm UTC| Commentary Economy

Data released earlier today showed that Japans Nikkei-Markit flash manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 47.6 in May, marking the steepest contraction in activity levels since December 2012. Data compared...

Persistent contraction of exports likely to put pressure on Taiwan’s economy

May 23, 2016 05:58 am UTC| Commentary Economy

In April, Taiwans exports orders declined for the 13th consecutive month. It fell 11.1% y/y, as compared with market forecast of a drop of 4.5% and Marchs 4.7% decline. Constant shrinking of export orders will put stress...

Labor seizes on Treasury and Finance secretaries' warning about revenue

May 20, 2016 10:02 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The secretaries of Treasury and Finance have warned it is crucial for Australia to retain its AAA credit rating, and said surpluses wont be possible without tax rises unless there is a considerable effort to reduce...