Economic Indicator

The Reserve Bank Board keeps interest rates at 4.35 per cent following inflation falling by more than expected towards the end of 2023.

RBA is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold today in the first rate decision of 2024.

Leaving the cash rate unchanged today is all but a foregone conclusion for the RBA. Behind closed doors, you can't help but wonder if November's rate hike was a mistake as the economy cools, writes Ian Verrender.

Regardless of whether Australia's economic picture is improving or heading for a crash, it's unlikely voters will have stage 3 tax cuts front of mind come the next general election, writes Melissa Clarke. 

Inflation comes in lower than expected, with prices rising just 0.6 per cent over the December quarter and 4.1 per cent over the past year.

The unemployment rate remained at 3.9 per cent in December, but ABS figures reveal more than 65,000 jobs were lost during the month, the biggest fall since 1993 outside of COVID lockdown periods.

The latest monthly indicator from the ABS shows consumer prices rose at their slowest pace in almost two years in November.

Australia's share market slipped backwards on Thursday, following losses on major US indices and bomb blasts in Iran that increased tensions in the Middle East.

The ASX has closed 1.1 points below an all-time record high, while data shows Australian property prices jumped by 8.1 per cent in 2023 — as it happened.

The Australian share market slipped on its final trading day of 2023, but is still hovering near record-high levels. The ASX 200 has gained nearly 8 per cent since the year began, its best annual return since 2021 as markets increasingly bet on interest rate cuts next year.

Australia technically avoided a recession in 2023, though living standards went backwards for most of the population. Here's what four leading economists tip could happen in 2024.

Anthony Albanese is finishing the year with a sullen electorate that can't really see past the economic pain it is feeling, and national security back in the realm of talk about border security and terrorists, writes Laura Tingle.

The ASX has closed at a 10-month high on Wednesday after Wall Street rallied overnight on interest rate cut optimism, while NAB data shows that more Australians are cutting back on their Christmas shopping.

Australia's inflation struggle and cost-of-living crisis will be front and centre as 2023 ends and a new one begins, keeping the Reserve Bank back in the national economic driver's seat for another year, writes David Taylor.

The real political danger — and the opportunity — that now confronts the government is that as nominal wages rise, the very issue that the stage 3 tax cuts were supposed to address is coming into play, writes Laura Tingle.

Australia's unemployment rate increases to 3.9 per cent despite the creation of more than 60,000 jobs last month, as the participation rate surges to a fresh record high.

Australian shares rise 0.5pc, while the Reserve Bank governor says Australia has not fallen behind other countries in keeping inflation under control. Catch up on the ABC News live markets blog — as it happened.

It might seem like an impenetrable wall of numbers, but the National Accounts reveal in excruciating detail just how badly Australian working households are faring, and why.

HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says Australians are having to draw down on savings as inflation continues to bite.

Australia's economy barely grew over the three months to September 30, with economic output going backwards by half a per cent per person.

More people looking to break into the property market are lying on their loan applications in a desperate bid to try to secure a home loan, according to new data. The struggle to refinance is also getting harder with more interest rate rises in 2024 possible.

Many of us don't trust politicians, but surely politicians ought to trust politicians? History shows why they might one day need to overturn a Reserve Bank decision, writes Peter Martin.

Australian financial markets are now pointing to a close to zero chance of further rate rises — with a fair chance of a rate cut next year. That's thanks to the latest news from the US and UK, writes Peter Martin.

Job ads are down nearly 20 per cent over the past year, following a slump in October driven by hospitality and retail, indicating many businesses are bracing for a quiet summer.

If we drop the antagonism between younger Australians and Boomers, will it help to fixing our housing crisis, asks Gareth Hutchens.