Australia’s unemployment rate is predicted to hit 9.25% in the December quarter this year as the shockwaves from the Covid-19 pandemic continue to hit the national economy, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in updating the government’s budget figure In the Economic and Fiscal Update released today, the Treasurer said 700,000 jobs had been saved as a… Read more »
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says the state’s tough social distancing and isolation laws will remain in place for at least 90 days, taking the restrictions to June 29. On Monday, the NSW government increased restrictions on freedom of movement in a bid to reduce the further spread of COVID-19, also ramping up the penalties… Read more »
Workers will receive $1500-per-fortnight ‘JobKeeper’ wage subsidy for the next 6 months It applies to businesses losing a minimum 30% of income (50% for revenue over $1bn) The ATO will manage the scheme through Single Touch Payroll The flat rate payment applies to people employed at March 1 (provided they are reinstated if subsequently… Read more »
Australia’s official cash rate now sits at 0.50% following a 25 basis points cut It’s the fourth rate cut since June 2019 amid growing concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy RBA says “global growth in the first half of 2020 will be lower than earlier expected” While housing prices have… Read more »
The rebound in the Australian home auction market continued last week as both the number of auctions and clearances continued to trend higher, according to the latest figures from CoreLogic. Across the combined capital cities, 2,446 homes went to auction, with a preliminary auction clearance rate of 77.7%. That’s up from 1,596 auctions the previous… Read more »
Amid the heartbreak of losing or facing the loss of a loved one, having to deal with the ongoing demands of everyday life adds another layer of stress, especially when it comes to your mortgage. The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has sought address that concern, launching an Australian first that covers mortgage repayments for up to… Read more »
Australia’s real estate auction markets are heading back towards boom levels, the national clearance rate at 78.6%, based on preliminary results, and Sydney, Melbourne Canberra and Perth around or above an 80% clearance rate with the number of properties also well above the levels seen 12 months ago. Capital City Auction Statistics (preliminary). Source: Corelogic … Read more »
Australians started borrowing again before Christmas, with the value of new home loans up by 4.4% in December (seasonally adjusted), while personal fixed term loans rose by 3.5% according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The value of mortgages to owner-occupier rose by 5.1%, an eight-year high, and 17.9% over the… Read more »
Property prices are rising rapidly again in Australia’s two biggest capitals, Sydney and Melbourne, with values up 1.1% and 1.2% respectively, in January. The national rebound continued to start 2020, with the CoreLogic national home value index up by 0.9% in January. That takes the annual growth rate to 4.1%; the fastest pace of growth… Read more »
There was a 1.9 per cent fall in the Westpac/Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index for December, released last week. It currently sits at stands at 95.1 points, below the longer term average of 101.5 points. A reading below 100 points denotes pessimism, although economists believe are more apprehensive about how 2020 will unfold than negative.… Read more »
