Australian real unemployment virtually unchanged at 10.4% (down 0.1%) in August and under-employment drops to 7.1% (down 1.9%)

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Sep-16

Australian real unemployment was virtually unchanged at 10.4 per cent (down 0.1 per cent) in August 2016, nearly double the current ABS figure for July (5.7 per cent). However, this is a substantial increase in unemployment over the past year, with 1.332 million Australians (up 159,000 since August 2015) now unemployed. The Australian workforce has increased to 12,855,000 (up 104,000 since August 2015) over the last year, although total employment actually decreased to 11,523,000 (down 55,000). Meanwhile, a total of 2.249 million Australians, or 17.5 per cent of the workforce (the lowest since October 2015), were either unemployed or under-employed in August. This is up 132,000 from August 2015 (an increase of 0.9 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rebounds to 118.1 (up 3.8pts) after strong GDP figures

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Sep-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence has risen by 3.3 per cent to 118.1 in the week ending 11 September 2016. The four-week moving average ticked up to 118.2, the highest level since late 2013. The GDP report for the June quarter, which highlighted the underlying strength of the Australian economy, was likely behind part of the rise in consumers’ optimism. The bounce in confidence was largely driven by households’ views of the economic outlook. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months rose by 8.1 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current finances rose by 1.6 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Gary Morgan comment on this week’s strong Consumer Confidence result

Original article by Gary Morgan, Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Sep-16

This week’s rise in the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index, up 3.8pts to 118.1, comes after a strong Australian GDP result last week which showed the Australian economy growing at an annual rate in the year to June of 3.3 per cent. This is the fastest annual GDP growth for the Australian economy for four years since 2012. Although this week’s increase in Consumer Confidence might seem to contradict the fall in the Roy Morgan Business Confidence – down 7.5pts to 108.6 in August, released yesterday, the two indicators are measured over a different time period (the month of August compared to the weekend just past) and have therefore been impacted by different socio-economic drivers.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

One in five first-year uni students drops out

Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 8-Sep-16

New figures show that the proportion of Australian university students who quit their course in the first year rose to a record 21.09 per cent in 2014. However, this falls to 15.25 per cent if students who change courses are taken into account. Andrew Norton of the Grattan Institute says the rise in the first-year drop-out rate can be linked to the increase in university enrolments in recent years. The number of Australian students enrolled in university courses rose above one million in 2014.

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Taxpayer funds hold up economy, families ease back

Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Sep-16

The latest national accounts data shows that the Australian economic expanded by 3.3 per cent in the year to June 2016. It is now 25 years since the last recession in Australia, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has attributed the almost unprecedented period of economic growth to factors such as the nation’s commitment to free trade and economic reform. However, growth in household spending slowed to just 0.4 per cent in the June quarter, while growth in household incomes is also subdued. A sharp rise in government spending contributed to GDP growth in 2015-16.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, EAST ASIA SUMMIT

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence falls again – down 4.1pts to 114.3

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Sep-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence has fallen fell for the second week in a row, down 3.5 per cent to 114.3 in the week ending 4 September 2016. The sizeable decline more than offset the jump in confidence three weeks ago, which took the index to a 33-month high. The decline in confidence was largely driven by households’ views over the economic outlook. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months fell by 7.6 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current and future finances fell by 2.7 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

China land ownership tiny

Original article by Simone Fox Koob
The Australian – Page: 5 : 7-Sep-16

New data shows that Chinese interests have bought only 1.4 million hectares of the 385 million hectares of agricultural land in Australia, which equates to less than 0.5 per cent. The Treasury report notes that foreign investors own 53 million hectares of the nation’s farmland, with British interests accounting for 27.5 million hectares. Treasurer Scott Morrison has stressed the importance of foreign investment to the domestic economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, S KIDMAN AND COMPANY PTY LTD, DAKANG AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence falls after Olympics ends, but still at high levels – 118.4 (down 3.4pts)

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-Aug-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 2.8 per cent to 118.4 in the week ending 28 August 2016. The decline in confidence was entirely driven by households’ views of the economic outlook. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months fell by 7.0 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current and future finances rose by 1.9 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Low $A, ad push to spur tourist growth

Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Aug-16

Deloitte Access Economics states in its tourism and hotel market outlook that the number of international visitors rose by 10 per cent in 2015. Meanwhile, visitor spending has increased by 17.9 per cent over the past five years. The firm forecasts an annual average growth of 6.2 per cent in international visitors over the next three years.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, TOURISM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence jumps to near three-year high of 121.8 (up 4.2pts) during Olympics

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Aug-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose by 3.6 per cent to 121.8 in the week ending 21 August 2016, to its highest level since November 2013. The improvement in confidence was broadly-based. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months rose by 5.4 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current and future finances rose by 1.3 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ