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Australia's jobless rate is expected to tick higher to 3.9pc when official monthly employment numbers are released this morning.

The global economy is set for another year of slow but steady growth, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, with U.S. strength pushing world output through headwinds from lingering high inflation, weak demand in China and Europe, and spillovers from two regional wars. The IMF forecast global real GDP growth of 3.2% for 2024 and 2025 - the same rate as in 2023. The 2024 forecast was revi...

Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has been threatened with contempt and six months in prison for not answering a profitability question in the senate supermarket inquiry.

Former New South Wales Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy KC says Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case defeat means other parties will now think twice or even be deterred before taking similar legal action. Mr Whealy says anyone who runs a defamation case with slightest credibility problem or black mark against their name are on notice that they could be hauled over the coals and lose badly- especiall...

Star Entertainment top executives spied on its special manager diary as part of "preparing for war" with the NSW casino regulator, an independent inquiry had heard. The explosive allegations come on day one of the second inquiry into Star Entertainment's suitablity to hold a casino licence in Sydney. Reporter: Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent Featured: Casper Conde, counsel assisting inqu...

With the dream of home ownership out of reach for many young Australians, pressure is growing to provide realistic options for affordable housing that gets renters in on the ground floor. Now architectual firm Place Studio has developed a "lease-to-own" model which offers a pathway for renters who can eventually build equity in a property they occupy .. and even own it over time. I speak with Plac...

Wall Street stocks have dived after inflation in the United States came in much hotter-than-expected. That reality check has seen economists trim back their bets for interest rate cuts - which until now looked imminent. Also TikTok spruiks $1.1 billion revenue boost to Australian economy in 2023 in face of global security concerns.

The federal government has unveiled a major overhaul of merger laws with the aim of speeding up and streamlining the process for low-risk corporate takeovers to boost competition and protect consumers. Treasurer Jim Chalmers wants more transparency in the process and plans to increase power of the competition watchdog to ensure big takeovers don't result in monopolies where big companies swallow u...

The federal government is unveiling a major overhaul of merger laws today ... with the aim of speeding up and streamlining the process for low-risk corporate takeovers to boost competition and protect consumers. But Treasurer Jim Chalmers wants more transparency in the process and plans to supercharge the power of the competition watchdog to ensure big takeovers don't result in monopolies where bi...

The International Monetary Fund says Austrailian borrowers are more sensitve to interest rate rises with more than 80 percent on variable rather than fixed loans. And former National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Thorburn - outsted after the findings of the banking royal commission - has made a comeback as CEO of the aged care provider HammondCare.

Australia's supermarket giants face multi-billion dollar fines under a mandatory code of conduct being proposed to protect suppliers and consumers - and to rein in the power of the sector. While the review by former Labor minister Craig Emerson turns up the heat on Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, it rejects pressure to break up the sector if they have too much market share.. Reporter: Peter Ryan, Seni...

Insurance giant IAG is backpaying 19,000 current and former workers more than $21million after an intervention by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The company is the latest Australian corporate to be outed over worker underpayments in recent years and in addition to backpaying staff it will also fork out a $650,000 "contrition" payment. Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth says many of the underpaid workers wer...

The owner of the cash transit company Armaguard has signalled pickups and deliveries of cold hard cash will be maintained for at least three years. But there's a major condition - banks and major retailers will need to pay a lot more to ensure the "cash in transit" service continues and cash keeps flowing around the economy.

There's more bad news about the lack diversity in corporate Australia with the number of women on the boards of small listed companies going backwards. And it's not just women - an index from the Governance Institute says there's barely any representation on boards from First Nations people or people with a disability. I speak with Governance Institute chair Pauline Vamos.

The fallout from the Bruce Lehmann defamation case and fresh allegations about how Channel Seven's Spotlight program scored an exclusive interview with him have broader ramifications for the network's owner Seven West Media. With the explosive case back in the Federal Court today, Seven executives are dealing with escalating reputational damage that threatens the future of Seven's Spotlight progra...

Australia's major banks are working on contigency plans to confront the possibility that the cash transit company Armaguard potentially goes under. The emergency planning is under way even though Armaguard denies its on the brink of collapse and is able to keep the business running.

If you've been dudded by a dodgy financial firm that's gone bust and can't get your money back, from today there's another option that just might work. What's known as the "Compensation Scheme of Last Resort" is now up and running and could deliver as much as $150,000 to consumers who've suffered from financial services misconduct. ABC's Peter Ryan explains.

There's still no resolution to the crisis engulfing the cash transport company Armaguard which has rejected a financial lifeline to keep the business alive. So where to now, and how worried should we be about the future of cold hard cash? Also - ASIC posts its first greenwashing victory against a global funds management goliath.

The ABC understands the cash transport company Armaguard has been given until the end of today to either accept or reject a financial lifeline to avert insolvency and to keep cash flowing to major businesses. Major banks, supermarkets, Australia Post and retailer Wesfarmers proposed a $26 million rescue package last week but the consortium is yet to receive an answer from Armaguard which is contro...

If you're hanging out for an interest rate cut in the coming months to ease cost of living pressures .. perhaps manage your expectations. Monthly inflation figures out later this morning are likely to deliver a sobering reality check that inflation is still too high and that rather than falling, it's ticking up.

Major banks are on the brinking signing a supporrt deal with Armaguard to ensure cash deliveries continue. Armaguard says its cash delivery business is unsustainable as the slide towards a cashles society accelerates. The deal, which us yet to be accepted, would ensure cash deliveries until the second half of this year. Reporter: Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent

It might be a shortened week in the leadup to Easter .. but the economic news doesn't stop. After last week's surprisingly strong news about the labour market, we'll be getting an update on monthly inflation later this week.

No one's declaring victory, but scam reports trended a bit lower in the final quarterof last year according to the ACCC's National Anti-Scam Centre. Asst Treasurer Stephen Jones tells banks to do more, but singles out Facebook owner Meta for special criticism for allowing its platforms to be used by criminal scammers.

Economic modelling from Super Members Australia shows withdrawing superannuation for a housing deposit might only fuel the property price boom, erode retirement nest eggs and force more people on to the aged pension. Also former Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe's new role as incoming chair of the funds manager Future Generation Australia. Reporter: Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent Featur...

One constant proposal to help young people buy a home is to allow borrowers tap their superannuation to help stump up a deposit. But economic modelling from the Super Members Council shows withdrawing super for housing deposit might only fuel the property price boom, erode retirement nest eggs and force more people on to the aged pension.