Bank of Australia Stories

Australian Stories

Bank of Australia stories

Australia jobless rate rises as economist questions data

The latest jobs report may exaggerate weakness, with CreditorWatch's chief economist blaming volatile state and part-time figures for the national drop.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • This month

Agricultural Technology

Australian SME hiring slows as MYOB data shows July fall

The latest figures point to weaker demand and tighter margins, with employment across Australian small businesses down 0.6% in July.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • This month

Customer Experience

Australian retailers face a peak-season balancing act as rate pressures, consumer caution and supply chain costs collide

Higher borrowing costs and cautious shoppers are forcing retailers to protect margins, avoid markdowns and get stock to the right place.

By Darren O'Connor • 3 min read • This month

Construction

Australia consumer confidence falls after rate rise

Households are feeling the squeeze as higher fuel costs and the Reserve Bank of Australia's latest rate rise drove confidence down 4.7% in October.

By Mara Sugue • 3 min read • This month

Real estate

Capital city auction clearance rate falls to 46%

Fewer than half of capital city homes sold at auction last week, as volumes dropped 23.8% and Sydney dominated activity despite a softer market.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • This month

Fintech

B2Bpay launches platform to keep rent on credit cards

Renters could keep earning card rewards as surcharges and platform changes push more landlords to drop credit card payments.

By Mara Sugue • 4 min read • This month

Fintech

B2Bpay launches rent card payments service for tenants

Renters who rely on card rewards could soon lose that option as one major payments platform stops taking cards, prompting a new alternative.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • This month

Fintech

Hello Clever urges businesses to add PayID options

The surcharge ban could squeeze merchants' margins unless they shift customers towards cheaper account-to-account payments, Hello Clever says.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Artificial Intelligence

Australia inflation cools but RBA likely to tighten again

A softer August reading may not spare borrowers, with CreditorWatch warning that broad-based price pressures still point to another RBA hike.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Fintech

Australia bans card payment surcharges on major networks

Shoppers will see fewer checkout fees on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa payments, though public holiday and weekend surcharges still apply.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Real estate

RBA rate rise deepens Australia's housing market slowdown

Borrowing power has fallen by nearly AUD $90,000 for a median-income household, leaving sales and prices under renewed pressure.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Last month

Artificial Intelligence

Australian household spending flat as fuel costs rise

Fuel and other essentials kept Australian consumers under pressure in August, with flat spending and weaker non-fuel outlays pointing to caution.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Last month

Software-as-a-Service

Card-Agnostic Spend Management: Why Your Software Shouldn't Decide Which Cards You Use

Businesses using spend management software could face costly lock-in if their platform only works with its own corporate cards.

By Radha Pathi Reddy • 9 min read • Last month

Real estate

Australia auction clearance rate falls below 50% again

Higher interest rates and price mismatches are leaving more homes unsold, as Australia's capital-city clearance rate slips to 49.1%.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Inflation

RBA still tipped to raise rates as jobs data blurs

Australia's labour market sent mixed signals in August, but inflation worries still leave the Reserve Bank likely to lift interest rates next week.

By Mara Sugue • 5 min read • Last month

Real estate

RBA set for September rate rise, CreditorWatch says

Australian households and debt-laden firms face further borrowing-cost pressure, with CreditorWatch seeing no chance of the RBA standing pat in September.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last month