State of the states – state & territory performance report

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Each quarter CommSec attempts to find out how the states and territories are performing by analysing eight key indicators: economic growth; retail spending; equipment investment; unemployment, construction work done; population

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Rate cut on the horizon

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The latest Reserve Bank Board minutes confirms that a rate cut is on the cards for next month provided inflation remains in check. “Slower growth in demand could be expected

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China achieves soft landing, now for the recovery

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Chinese economic data was weaker than expected; the Chinese economy grew at an 8.1 per cent annual rate in the March quarter (consensus 8.4 per cent) down from 8.9 per

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More jobs, but outlook still murky

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Employment rose by 44,000 in March after falling by 15,400 in February; economists had expected a 7,000 lift in jobs. Healthy mix in jobs: In March part-time jobs rose by

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The Asian G7 & the pursuit of luxury

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Economic power is shifting from the old Group of Seven nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and the US) to the new Asian G7 (China, Hong Kong, India, Korea,

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Rate cut on the agenda, inflation to be the deciding factor

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The Reserve Bank Board has left official rates at 4.25 per cent. Last year the Reserve Bank cut rates at both the November and December meetings, each by 25 basis

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A solid start to 2012

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The bad news on Europe has dried up, the US economy has continued to recover and investors believe the soft patch for Asia will be only temporary. As a result,

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Prudent Australia braces for challenges

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The Reserve Bank has highlighted the conservative financial behaviour of households in recent years. The Bank concludes that “Few households appear to be vulnerable to falling into mortgage arrears.” The

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No stress, no debt Aussies

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In mid-March the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the results of the 2010 social survey for States and Territories. The results of the survey for Australia as a whole were

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RBA: Cautiously optimistic as downside risks diminish

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The RBA Board minutes note a modest improvement in global economic conditions, which gave the RBA reason to feel cautiously optimistic about the current economic landscape Reserve Bank Board members conceded

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