Grim warning to homeowners on rate rises

Stronger than anticipated jobs knowledge is anticipated so as to add strain on the Reserve Bank to hike charges as soon as once more when it meets subsequent month.

The unemployment fee dipped again to its 50-year low of three.5 per cent in June after creating greater than twice the anticipated quantity of jobs in June (32,600), in keeping with the Australian Bureau of Statistics

Economists had predicted the official jobless fee would both maintain regular at 3.6 per cent or tick as much as 3.7 per cent, indicating the 12 rate of interest hikes had led to a cooling within the labour market.

But the figures, launched on Thursday, defied forecasts.

BIS Oxford Economics head of macroeconomic forecasting Sean Langcake mentioned the information all however baked in expectations the central financial institution would elevate the money fee in August.

“Labour market indicators are in a very strong place right across the board. The employment-to-population ratio is historically high, while unemployment and underemployment are at, or near historic lows,” he mentioned.

“This is unambiguously good. However, the strength of the labour market will continue to keep upward pressure on wages and inflation.

“The Reserve Bank is not in a position where it can tolerate any upside surprises to the inflation outlook, and we expect to see two more rate hikes in the coming months.”

CreditorWatch’s Chief Economist Anneke Thompson mentioned the information left no room in anyway for the RBA.

“Next week’s monthly inflation figure will now be even more crucial to the outcome. At this point, we still err on the side of another increase at the August meeting,” she mentioned.

The central financial institution board flirted with the concept of elevating rates of interest when it met in July however finally pressed the pause button holding the speed at 4.10 per cent, arguing the total impact of the fast tightening cycle had but to be felt.

Since May 2022, the RBA has lifted the money fee from a document low 0.1 per cent in a bid to sort out hovering inflation.

Fresh quarterly inflation knowledge is about to be launched later this month. In the March quarter, inflation fell from its peak of seven.8 per cent to 7.0 per cent.

Among the explanations listed by the RBA for holding regular was the priority unemployment fee might enhance larger than forecasts.

More than 1,000,000 extra Australians are employed now than earlier than the pandemic, ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis mentioned on Thursday.

“In addition … a much higher share of the population is employed. In June 2023, 64.5 per cent of people 15 years or older were employed, an increase of 2.1 percentage points since March 2020,” he mentioned.

Mr Jarvis mentioned Australians are additionally now working extra hours than earlier than because the variety of hours labored continues to outstrip employment progress during the last 12 months.

“The strength in hours worked since late 2022, relative to employment growth, shows the demand for labour is continuing to be met, to some extent, by people working more hours,” he mentioned.

Originally printed as Stronger than anticipated jobs knowledge provides to expectation RBA will carry charges once more

Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au