Business

The Economy

The fall in consumer confidence could be a worry for retailers in the Christmas shopping season.

Australian consumers spooked by poor GDP

A measure of Australia's consumer sentiment slipped to an eight-month low in December after disappointing data on the domestic economy shook confidence in the outlook for the year ahead.

Dollar Sinking In The Sea Showing Depression Recession And Economic Downturns generic pick of dollar sign sinking into water

GDP: Short for Generally Dubious Puffery?

GDP might well be the least bad of all the flawed ways in which we can measure the health of our economy. But it's far from perfect, especially if you're aiming to capture the impact of the economy on people.

Illustration: Glen Le Lievre

Recession? Look out your window

What would economic race-calling be without its little excitements? As you may possibly have heard, this week's news is that the economy has contracted - shrunk, gone backwards - by 0.5 per cent.

Exports of iron ore could be slowed this week if a weather system develops into a cyclone.

Wider trade gap adds to economy's worries

A surprise blow-out in the October trade deficit has raised questions about the predicted rebound in economic growth, following the third-quarter contraction.