Healthy wage growth to boost consumer activity

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Labour Price Index Wages lift driven by the minimum wage increase. Wages rose by 1.1 per cent in the September quarter. In annual terms wages are up 3.5 per cent

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A land of opportunity – Australia leads the way as a multicultural nation

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Australia continues to be a leading multicultural nation, attracting one of the highest proportions of overseas born residents at 25 per cent of the total population, compared to the OECD

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RBA highlights pressure on bank funding

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RBA Board minutes At the last Reserve Bank board meeting members took some time to consider bank funding costs. Members explicitly stated that there was a possibility that banks would

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ING IM cuts outlook for global economic growth, sees rise in volatility and increasing divergence in investment markets

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Test tube policies’ could contribute to further market volatility Positive earnings growth, attractive valuations and strong corporate wealth to drive global equity markets Australian economy to remain solid as Asian

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China boom or bust or neither?

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Key points Further tightening in China is likely to ensure that inflation expectations remain under control and to mop up capital inflows flowing from US quantitative easing and Chinese resistance

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Credit card balances edge higher

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Credit/debit cards Credit card balances rose in September. The average credit card balance stood at a $3,261.60 in September, up $7.90 on August. The average credit card balance is up

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Investor Signposts: Week Beginning November 14 2010

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Upcoming economic and financial market events The big picture It never ceases to surprise how many people treat budget figures as facts rather than estimates. The Mid Year Economic and

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More looking, but not all finding work

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Labour force; Chinese data Employment rose by 29,700 in October, in line with forecasts centred on job gains of around 20,000. Fulltime employment fell by 14.100 and part-time jobs rose

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Confidence falls to five month low on rate hike

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Housing finance; Consumer sentiment As expected, the Westpac/Melbourne Institute index of consumer confidence fell in the latest month in response to the latest interest rate hike. The index fell by

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Profit slump but Government still upbeat

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NAB business survey; Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) NAB business confidence index eased from +10.1 to +8.1 in October. The business conditions index fell from +6.7 in September

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