The Economy

Australia is one of 56 economies where the old will outnumber the young.

When Australia joins the granny nations

It's known as the historic reversal, and it appears irreversible: Places where the old outnumber kids. What began in 1995 in a single country, Italy, will spread to 56 nations - and Australia is one of them.

Consumer sentiment rose by 2 per cent in August from July, when it fell 3 per cent.

Consumer confidence gets modest boost from rate cut

A measure of Australian consumer sentiment bounced in August after a couple of soft months, likely aided by a cut in domestic interest rates to record lows that was warmly welcomed by those with housing debt.

Food prices were up 3.3 per cent in July, compared with a 4.6 per cent gain in the previous month.

China consumer inflation cools

China's consumer price inflation accelerated at its weakest pace in six months as food prices rose at a slower pace, although the long decline in upstream prices continued to moderate.

Outgoing RBA governor Glenn Stevens: The bank's actions are having less impact than they once did.

RBA rate cut creates few winners

The Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to cut interest rates last week has so far produced few clear winners.

The number of internet job ads fell 0.7 per cent, while the more volatile newspaper component fell 12.6 per cent.

Job advertisements dip in July

Job advertisements dipped in July to end two months of gains, pointing to more moderate growth in employment ahead, a survey shows.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivering a speech during the Republican Convention in July.

Donald Trump names economic team of rich white men

Donald Trump unveiled an economic team that's a mirror image of the candidate and his campaign: They're mostly outside the Republican, Wall Street and academic establishments, and they're all men.

The Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, and the rest of the board face a difficult decision next Tuesday.

Rate cut highlights Australia's fall

It's a far cry from five years ago when the nation's benchmark rate was a developed-world high and the Aussie was worth more than the greenback with the mining bonanza in full swing.

Glenn Stevens oversaw the central bank's rate cut this week in his last major move as RBA Governor.

Banks respond to the Reserve Bank rate cut as one

Our biggest banks move fast. Either that, or they collude. At 2.37 pm on Tuesday within minutes of the Reserve Bank cutting its cash rate to an all-time low, the Commonwealth Bank announced a completely different way of responding. Instead of passing on some of all of the cut, it would only pass on half and hand some of the rest out to customers as higher term deposit rates.

"It's the new norm": Treasurer Scott Morrison.

Banks short-change mortgage customers

The Commonwealth and National Australia Banks have short-changed their mortgage holders by passing on only a fraction of the Reserve Bank's 0.25 per cent cut in interest rates, choosing instead to reward depositors by lifting the rate they offer on term deposits.

Small Business

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