ABS Labour Force Survey modernises from April; expect delays and fewer tables through August

The ABS is modernising its Labour Force Survey from the April 2026 reference period. Over the next five months (April through August), headline releases will be pushed back by one week, and six regular tables will be paused. Normal service resumes with the September reference month release in October 2026. …read more

Inflation still a problem

Despite the fact that the headline CPI for February dipped slightly from 3.8% to 3.7%, inflation is clearly still a problem. This monthly data read will not be showing the effect of the oil prices prices we have seen during March. In addition, the Trimmed Mean measure of core inflation …read more

A Conversation with My AI Partner

What happens when an economist sits down for a podcast interview with an AI? I have been using AI extensively in my consulting work for well over a year now. Not as a delegation tool, but as something closer to a collaborative partner. I use it to research, to bounce …read more

Queensland Outpaces the Nation: Dec Household Spending Insights

Queensland continues to demonstrate economic resilience, with the latest December data showing the state significantly outperforming the national average in household spending. Whether looking at current prices or inflation-adjusted chain volumes, the Sunshine State is doing well. Key Takeaways: Robust Growth Across the Board Queensland’s total trend household spending rose …read more

Is it really government spending that made the RBA hike?

Since the RBA hiked the Cash Rate by 25bps on Tuesday there has been a lot of commentary (much of it unfortunately heavily politically slanted!) about whether it’s the government’s fault that inflation has stayed higher for longer than the RBA would like. The RBA Governor has been extremely careful …read more

JobSeekers data shows the relative strength in Cairns

JobSeeker numbers are clearly moving higher as the labour market eases across the country. However, what is also becoming very clear is that the labour market in Cairns is holding up a lot better than elsewhere. Conus/CBC Staff Selection Trend JobSeekers • Australia are up 8.1% y/y • across Queensland …read more

The Briggs Review called for a law. We got a Framework

I don’t usually use this blog to repost things that I’ve written on LinkedIn…the two audiences are different…however, this discussion about Government Board appointments felt like something with a broader interest, so here it is. The release of the Government Appointments Framework following the Briggs Review is a step forward, …read more

New Podcast discussion

Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shaun Craike (The Buyers Co. | Find Your Perfect Property Today) to talk about the Cairns economy. This was a really fun and interesting conversation that roamed across many issues relevant to anyone with an interest in the economy of Cairns. …read more

Cairns Unemployment Rate hits 4.7%

The extended run of positive employment growth in Cairns continued in July with another 300 added. The region has seen an additional 2,300 people employed in the past year. Participation remains high in the region and is up again in July after June was revised a little lower. Employment growth …read more

Using MCPs to Automate and Enhance Your AI Experience

Using MCPs to Automate and Enhance Your AI Experience Bottom Line Up Front: Model Context Protocol (MCP) is revolutionising how we interact with AI by enabling seamless connections between AI assistants and external tools, data sources, and services. This technology transforms static AI conversations into dynamic, action-oriented workflows that can …read more

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