Economy

The Fair Work Ombudsman will target supermarkets that underpay trolley workers who are already among the nation’s most vulnerable and exploited groups of workers.

Employment Minister Eric Abetz has acknowledged the government’s plan to force job seekers to apply for 40 jobs a month will impose a “real cost” on small businesses. Senator Abetz gave the strongest indication yet that the government will water down its widely criticised proposal which would also require job seekers under 30 to conduct […]

The number of apprentices in training has declined by 12.4 per cent in the 12 months to April 2014, new figures reveal.

A Coalition commissioned cost benefit analysis of the NBN has found the high price tag linked to the provision of high-speed internet access for those in regional and rural areas would far exceed the potential benefits.

The Australian Taxation Office will audit more small businesses after new figures suggest the shadow economy is preventing about $25bn each year from being spent on the nation’s schools, hospitals and vital infrastructure.  The figures, cited in News Corp Australia papers, point to a growing problem with business owners not declaring cash payments – a […]

Offshoring back office functions can help small businesses expand, improve customer service and free up cash for advertising and marketing campaigns. Increasingly small business owners have been taking advantage of cheaper wages in countries like India and the Philippines to offshore administrative and customer service functions. Scott Linden Jones, author and expert on global resourcing, […]

The Australian Taxation Office has dealt a blow to businesses capitalising on the growth in crypto-currencies like Bitcoin by finding virtual currencies should not be treated as money. The move has triggered a push back with digital currency advocates warning of reduced competitiveness, weakened innovation and a further assault upon Australia’s struggling start-up sector. In […]

One of Australia’s business leaders has championed the fight against unemployment as a means to improve national health outcomes and called on business to play a leading role. Head of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kate Carnell, this week said there were significant health savings to be made by helping unemployed people into […]

Businesses that are uncertain about unpaid work and internship arrangements will be the focus of a new education campaign by the Fair Work Ombudsman.   The FWO will seek to clarify the circumstances when businesses can legitimately make use of unpaid workers and interns following a number of recent case-studies in which workers were exploited. In […]

Wages and staff on-costs including payroll tax and training have reached “unsustainable” levels and now account for nearly half of business expenses in the restaurant sector. According to the 2014 Industry Benchmarking Report produced by the sector’s peak body, Restaurant and Catering Australia, wages and on-staff costs now account for 45.3 per cent of business […]

Maintaining a clear head in business can be a challenge, but one expert says it can also make a difference to your bottom line and future prospects.  Stephanie Thompson is the principal corporate psychologist at Insight Matters, Corporate Psychology and Coaching, a small business that she started 14 years ago. With two decades of experience […]

Businesses must adapt to the decline of the cash-based economy with more customers increasingly preferring electronic transactions to simple cash payments. Similarly, cheque payments are also on a quick decline with their use dropping 13.3 per cent in 2013 as compared to 12.5 per cent in 2012. This represents a drop of 224 million cheques […]

New figures show the business community is struggling and remains reluctant to hire staff following the May federal budget.  The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s most recent Business Expectations survey found that key indicators — namely those measuring sales, profits, investment and employment — were grounded in negative territory. The general business conditions index […]

The man in charge of the government’s financial system inquiry, David Murray, has warned that accommodating technological advancements that lift productivity and drive competition will prove a key future challenge. New innovation, particularly in the payments system, is disrupting the banking sector with emerging payment providers like PayPal and Google now competing with traditional institutions. […]

The rate of business failures has more then doubled over the last 15 years according to the Jones Partners Insolvency report.

It’s a concept that Ryan Trainor hopes will disrupt the education sector and provide budding entrepreneurs with the skills to succeed in business.

Small Business Minister Bruce Billson hopes the latest initiative in the start up sector will usher in an entrepreneurship “renaissance” and encourage more Australians to go into business for themselves.

A new plan requiring jobseekers to apply for 40 positions a month has been condemned for needlessly increasing red tape obligations on small business owners.

The Australian wine industry has not been without difficulties in recent years. But Tasmania has increasingly been attracting investment from some of the sector’s major players.

As the government prepares to increase the Age Pension to 70 by 2035, academics have expressed concerns about the attitudinal and financial barriers rife in the jobs market.