Look under the hood: comparing Australian and US inflation
Headline inflation is 3.5% in Australia and 3.4% in the US. But Australia's underlying inflation is 3.6%, compared with US core inflation of just 2.4%.
Topic
Inflation
A collection of 6 issues
Snapshot of central bank policy interest rates
Central banks are moving in markedly different directions. Australia has raised its policy rate by 0.75 percentage points over the past year, while the US has cut by the same amount.
US gas prices remain above $4 with 58 days to midterms
US regular gasoline remains above $4 a gallon. With 58 days until the midterms, prices are 33% above their level immediately before the 2024 election.
Australia’s productivity gap with the US is becoming embarrassing
Australia and the United States are recording similar GDP growth, but they are getting there very differently. Australian productivity fell over the year to June while US productivity rose strongly.
Household spending rebound makes the RBA’s job harder
Household spending has risen strongly for three consecutive months, with discretionary expenditure now growing faster than spending on essentials.
Three (blunt) politically relevant messages from the latest RBA Minutes
The latest RBA Minutes contain three unusually clear political messages on interest rates, Australia’s productivity problem and the weakening housing market.