Peter Martin

The unemployment rate is now expected to remain near 6.6% throughout 2021, instead of soaring to almost 10% as economic forecasters expected six months ago.

It’d be wrong to say that we are out of recession, although that’s how the graph of Wednesday’s GDP numbers makes it look.

Once about as high as the pension, the JobSeeker payment has fallen to 40% of the full-time minimum wage and halfway below the poverty line.

Pouring a greater proportion of each pay packet into the hands of super funds will not benefit Australians heading for retirement.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has said the cash rate will not increase until “actual inflation” is sustainably within the 2-3% target range.

There's a lot in this year's budget for small businesses. But, if they're going to drive economic recovery, a lot still needs to go right.

Overwhelmingly, Australia’s leading economists want the budget to boost social housing and the JobSeeker unemployment benefit.

The five hikes in compulsory super contributions due to start next July should be deferred or abandoned, say leading Australian economists.

Even if the government hadn’t spent $5.9 billion on JobKeeper and other emergency measures last financial year, its budget position would have collapsed.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has forecasted our economic recovery will be V-shaped, however, it looks more like a flat-bottomed boat when graphed.

The RBA has cut the cash rate to an all-time low of 0.50% “to support the economy as it responds to the global coronavirus outbreak”.