Gareth Hutchens

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Gareth Hutchens

Australia's unemployment rate has remained steady in May, despite a dip in employment. The unemployment rate came in at 4.1 per cent last month, in seasonally adjusted terms. Employment decreased by about 2,000 people in May, coming off an unexpectedly strong jobs surge in April. Loading

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Gareth Hutchens

Domain is forecasting Australian property prices to jump to fresh record highs in 2025-26, creating more pain for first-home hopefuls. Cotality has also released its latest Pain and Gain report, showing 94.9 per cent of property resales made a "profit" for their sellers in the March quarter. Both organisations say interest rate cuts will help to spur the property price increases in the next year.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Gareth Hutchens

Israel and Iran have been trading missile strikes. In the last 48 hours, Israel has attacked more than 200 Iranian sites, including military bases and nuclear facilities, killing scores of people and injuring hundreds. Iran has retaliated with drone strikes and missiles of its own, killing at least three people and injuring dozens. As the world holds its breath, economists and analysts are keeping tabs on what it could mean for major economic indicators.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Gareth Hutchens

This warning was published in 1762:"As soon as man can disobey with impunity, his disobedience becomes legitimate."It comes from The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). Rousseau's words inspired the French Revolution, and the American revolutionary war, and influenced the political and moral philosophy we call liberalism, on which modern Australian political society is based. The message contained in that warning is extremely important.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Gareth Hutchens

Australia's economy grew by 0.2 per cent in the March quarter, and 1.3 per cent through the year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It means economic growth slowed in the first three months of the year, from 0.6 per cent at the end of 2024, and missed expectations. GDP per capita fell 0.2 per cent this quarter, following a 0.1 per cent rise in the December 2024 quarter, the ABS said.