Japan Economics Weekly Boost from female employment starting to fade A surge in the share of women in or looking for paid employment has boosted potential growth and kept price pressures subdued in recent years. But with the female labour force participation rate no... 19th May 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Better get used to slow wage growth Wage growth in Australia has only been significantly lower than it is now during the Great Depression and immediately after World War II. While we do expect wage growth to rise from here, it won’t... 19th May 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia Labour Market (Apr.) The labour market is not weak enough to prompt the RBA to cut interest rates again, but nor is it strong enough to trigger a large enough rise in wages and spending that would prompt the RBA to raise... 18th May 2017 · 1 min read
US Chart Pack Incoming data make the Fed’s job more difficult The latest decline in the core CPI inflation rate to 1.9% in April, at the same time as the unemployment rate dropped to a decade low of 4.4%, presents a dilemma for the Fed. The price stability part... 17th May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update How much slack is there in the euro-zone labour market? The recovery in the labour market is unlikely to put significant upward pressure on wage growth. Accordingly, the ECB will be very cautious when it comes to tightening policy. 17th May 2017 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Employment (Mar.) Generally speaking, the Labour Force Survey data painted positive picture for occupier demand. Yet, the ongoing squeeze on real incomes means that occupier demand for retail property will stay... 17th May 2017 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Labour Market (Mar.) The latest labour market figures highlighted that wage growth remains weak, despite the continued decline in labour market slack. 17th May 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Chart Pack The return of Goldilocks Japan’s economy probably recorded the fifth straight quarter of growth in Q1, the longest streak since 2005. The unemployment rate is at multi-year lows and corporate profit margins at record highs... 15th May 2017 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Labour market very close to full health Almost every indicator suggests that US labour market conditions are the tightest they have been since the financial crisis, possibly even the tightest in decades. Nearly every sector is now operating... 12th May 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Chart Pack Riksbank loosens while Norges Bank stands pat In the past month, central bank meetings have highlighted contrasts in the responses of policymakers towards inflation. In Sweden, inflation has been on an upward trend recently and is close to the... 12th May 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Government could do more to lift wage growth The government has raised minimum wages, mainly to the benefit of part-time workers, and improved tax incentives to encourage firms to lift salaries. But much more is needed to boost wage growth to... 12th May 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Infrastructure: Don’t believe the hype Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison made a big song and dance about new infrastructure spending in the Federal Budget. But while he shouldn’t be considered a public enemy as some new infrastructure... 12th May 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey (Apr.) Despite an improvement in April, today’s Economy Watchers Survey remains consistent with falling manufacturing activity. It also points to a slowdown in job growth, though the survey has not been a... 11th May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can Macron succeed where others have failed? New French President Emmanuel Macron has a better chance than his predecessors of overhauling France’s sclerotic labour market and bloated public sector. But he may still have to dilute some of his... 10th May 2017 · 1 min read
US Economics Update NFIB and JOLT surveys suggest full employment is close Recent surveys show that the strength of business sentiment is fuelling a recovery in capital investment while ensuring that firms’ demand for labour is as strong as ever. With the pool of unemployed... 9th May 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Labour Cash Earnings (Mar.) The first fall in labour cash earnings since last May underlines the challenges the Bank of Japan is facing in lifting inflation to 2%. With wages growing no faster than labour productivity, much... 9th May 2017 · 1 min read
