Home
Search
thewest.com.au
BusinessChevron Right Icon

Economics

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has reassured big business leaders he wants to slash red tape.

Federal PoliticsCommentsChalmers seeks list of red tape to slash in second term

Jim Chalmers has reassured big business leaders he wants to slash red tape, boost productivity and sieze the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in a second term Labor government.

Katina Curtis

LNG is WA’s second top export.

EconomyPremiumLNG a top target as China hits back on Trump tariffs

China has slapped tariffs on a range of US products including sales of LNG.

Bloomberg

Paul Bloxham has shifted his rates call for the first time in nine months.

EconomyCommentsPremiumDeluge of experts picking Feb RBA rate cut grows

Donald Trump’s threat of a trade war has pushed another top economist to predict the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates later this month.

Matt Mckenzie

China, Canada and Mexico were in the president’s sights on Saturday, but WA should be in no doubt that trade has been fundamental to economic success.

opinion
opinion
EconomyCommentsPremium
opinion
Trump’s trade card a bad deal for WA

Donald Trump’s fresh trade war should set alarm bells ringing. A threat to free trade is a threat to Western Australia’s prosperity and way of life.

Matt Mckenzie

Albemarle's Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
MiningPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Local lithium players set to be whacked by export block

WA’s struggling lithium hydroxide producers are on the verge of being dealt another major blow with China clamping down on specialised technicians and equipment leaving its borders.

Adrian Rauso

All four big Aussie banks now expect a cut at the meeting on February 17 and 18.

updated
updated
RBAComments
updated
ASX200 hits fresh peak amid growing rate cut optimism

All four big banks now expect an interest rate cut in February.

Matt Mckenzie

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar says businesses are expressing real concerns about the relentless growth of red tape and regulation, and the associated costs in time, money and stress.

EconomyComments‘Govt spending bloat’ a handbrake on growth, warns ACCI

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has issued a pre-election plea for both parties to end .transactional politics (and) hyper-partisan point-scoring’.

Jackson Hewett

Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock and Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

updated
updated
EconomyComments
updated
‘It’s on’: Banks tip earlier rate cut as inflation cools

Australian borrowers have received a dose of good news as core inflation fell to its slowest pace in three years, sparking hopes interest rate relief may finally be within reach.

Matt Mckenzie, Jessica Page & Jackson Hewett

Rents rocketed by 10.1 per cent through the year, faster than every other major city.

EconomyCommentsPremiumHousing is Perth’s inflation pain point

Rents and home construction costs surged in Perth through 2024 as the latest inflation data confirmed the city’s place at the epicentre of the national housing crisis.

Matt Mckenzie

New forecasts reveal Australians will have to wait another five years until their disposable income recovers to pre-COVID levels.

EconomyCommentsPremiumAustralians to wait until 2030 to feel financially stronger

It is bad news for households already smashed by cost-of-living pressures. New forecasts reveal Australians will have to wait another five years until their disposable income recovers to pre-COVID levels.

Cheyanne Enciso

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock speaks to media during a press conference in Sydney, Tuesday, December 10, 2024. (AAP Image/Steven Saphore) NO ARCHIVING

EconomicsCommentsJobs boom shouldn’t stop rate cut: AMP

A top bank reckons Australia’s unemployment rate can remain close to 4 per cent without driving up inflation, bolstering the case for the Reserve Bank to lower interest rates.

Matt Mckenzie

Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock and Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

RBACommentsPremiumRate relief, election hinge on this week’s inflation data

Australia’s quarterly inflation data this week may be key to whether the Reserve Bank finally embarks on a monetary easing cycle soon, and in turn, help decide the timing of an election due by May 17. 

Swati Pandey

Winthrop Professor Raymond Da Silva Rosa.

opinion
opinion
Raymond Da Silva RosaCommentsPremium
opinion
Artificial intelligence probably won’t put you out of work

No one can predict which new jobs will be created in the future, but I am confident there will be many.

Raymond Da Silva Rosa

NAB business banking chief Rachel Slade says more small businesses will ramp up their adoption of new technology.

Small BusinessCommentsPremiumSMEs will boost tech usage as they brace for higher costs

Australian business owners plan to ramp up their adoption of artificial intelligence and new technology as they brace for even higher costs and more red tape this year.

Cheyanne Enciso

Belvedere Valley wagyu cattle.

EconomyPremiumAussie red meat booms to record high

Aussie farmers have plenty to celebrate this Australia Day, with red meat exports notching fresh record highs across 2024.

NCA NewsWire

US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, at the Commander in Chief ball during the 60th presidential inauguration in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

EconomyPremiumTrump unlikely to score win on Fed rates this week

Economists say Donald Trump is taking the reins of a US economy that is in decent shape but he will be unlikely to celebrate an interest rate cut this week.

Tianqi Lithium and IGO’s Kwinana lithium hydroxide plant stands to benefit from the tax credits.

MiningPremiumMCA falls in line and backs production tax credits

The mining lobby group most sceptical of the Albanese Government’s $7.1 billion of tax credits for critical mineral miners has now publicly said it is on board with the policy. 

Adrian Rauso

Not Supplied

The economyPremiumFaltering dollar ‘unlikely’ to sway RBA

Australia’s weak dollar could see inflation tick up slightly, but it is unlikely to move the RBA on its next rate cut decision, a leading economist says.

Cameron Micallef

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers (left) and Australian Finance Minister Katy Gallagher arrive to speak to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, December 17, 2024. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

EconomyPremiumJobless rate debate a work in progress

Thursday’s scorching-hot jobs figures have added fuel to a fiery debate about the trade-offs between fighting inflation and keeping unemployment in check.

Matt Mckenzie

WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti.

EconomyCommentsPremiumWA the place to be for jobseekers

Treasurer Rita Saffioti has declared WA’s jobs market ‘quite extraordinary’ after the State posted numbers that were again the envy of the nation.

Matt Mckenzie

Australia’s unemployment rate still remains low despite today’s result. NewsWire / John Appleyard

newsPremiumFears rate cut could be delayed

Australia’s unemployment rate rose slightly in December but still remains under the RBA’s forecasted figure, putting in doubt a rate cut for the first time in 17 months.

Cameron Micallef

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock and Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

updated
updated
EconomyPremium
updated
New figures show Australia’s smoking hot jobs market

More than 440,000 jobs were created in 2024 as Australia’s smoking hot labour market finished the year with a bang. But was it loud enough to spook the RBA?

Matt Mckenzie

Andrew Forrest and Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
EconomyCommentsPremium
The West Australian exclusive
Tug off, we’re full: Shipbuilder tells Fortescue

Fortescue has been forced to send tug boats overseas for maintenance after a global contracting giant ditched WA commercial jobs in favour of defence gigs.

Matt Mckenzie

Australians who skip sweet treats or an extra cup of coffee are saving $63 a month.

Your MoneyCommentsPremiumSkipping that extra cup of coffee can save you $330 a month

Australians are saving an average of more than $330 a month by opting to dine at home or skipping a cup of coffee, with cost-of-living challenges forcing many to prioritise building up an emergency buffer.

Cheyanne Enciso