Economy

Politics is best played as a game of offence, but for incumbents across the world in what feels like a never-ending cost of living crisis, it has become a battle of defence and managing souring public sentiment. 

Manufacturing once played a critical role in the Australian economy but now makes up less than 6 per cent of the nation's GDP. So why is the government trying to revive it now?

The federal government has announced it will fund a 15 per cent wage increase for early childhood education workers, tied to a commitment from childcare centres to limit fee increases.  

Despite what the Reserve Bank governor has said, many people expect interest rates will have to come down — possibly sooner than predicted.

The number of homes resold in less than three years has jumped to its highest level in at least a decade, according to figures from CoreLogic. It could be indicative of more borrowers choosing to sell their homes before falling too far behind on their repayments.

The cost of a Big Mac can help us understand the big picture of what's going on with spiralling prices.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows household spending has fallen by 0.5 per cent for June after two consecutive rises.

Hundreds of workers are expected to lose their jobs at Albemarle's Kemerton lithium plant as the miner responds to further volatility in the global market.

About 50 million Thais are set to get a "digital wallet" containing 10,000 baht ($420) as part of a $21 billion cash handout scheme that has been criticised as costly, unsustainable and detrimental to Thailand's already struggling economy.

The Beijing-controlled government in Hong Kong is luring mainland Chinese to live in the city to shore up the city's faltering economy.

The RBA will decide whether to hike or hold rates next Tuesday. The bank's new deputy governor has offered us some clues to which way they might go.

Anthony Albanese has made larger-than-expected changes to his frontbench. But a new study shows exactly the depth of trouble his government is in.

Even though social media is free to use, research found many university students would pay to quit it — especially TikTok — if they could beat their fear of missing out.

Home ownership is a cornerstone of the Australian dream — but for many it feels increasingly out of reach.

Donald Trump looks ever more likely to return to the White House and, while commentators focus on deep political and social divisions in the US, a Trump victory will also have far-reaching global economic and market ramifications.

Spending is down, but there are two sectors Australians are still willing to fork out money for.

Energy experts — and even Greenpeace — underestimated solar power's rapid global growth. Now many believe solar is set to become the world's biggest power source within the next decade. But it is falling prices — rather than environmental benefits — that might be driving that change.

More people are retiring later in life. Here's how these Australians stay happy and engaged at work.

An expert panel of top economic forecasters expects the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates two to three times over the next 18 months, with the first cut likely in March.

In announcing 200 job losses on Friday, Nine Entertainment has joined other commercial media outlets in feeling the chill from a cooling economy as more corporate budgets slash their marketing spend.

The Reserve Bank's new deputy governor plays down this week's inflation surprise, saying there is plenty of economic data between now and the bank's next interest rate meeting in August.

If inflation keeps sinking when the official quarterly figures are released next month, it'll be doubly good news for stretched households. It'll mean slower price rises, and probably an end to talk of further interest rate rises.

David Cameron took a colossal gamble on Brexit and lost. What followed was years of political chaos and division. With a general election approaching next month, did Brexit break Britain?

Researchers at the Australian National University have found the nation's surf breaks are worth a fortune to the economy as well as wave riders' wellbeing — and should be better protected as a result.

Store workers at supermarket giant Woolworths have voted in favour of a new pay and entitlements package, after a union campaign plagued by allegations of "misinformation" and "bad faith bargaining".