The author has been described by News Ltd as an "iconoclast", "Svengali", a pollie's "economist muse", and "pungently accurate". Fairfax says he is a "Renaissance man" and "one of Australia’s most respected analysts." Stephen Koukoulas concludes that he is "85% right", and "would make a great Opposition leader." Terry McCrann claims the author thinks "‘nuance’ is a trendy village in the south of France", but can be "scintillating" when he thinks "clearly". The ACTU reckons he’s "an enigma wrapped in a Bloomberg terminal, wrapped in some apparently well-honed abs."

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Unemployment holds at around NAIRU @5%

Full-time employment down 8,000 but part-time up 32,000 in January. Total employment in January was therefore 24,000, a bit above expectations of a 15,000 gain. With a slightly higher participation rate (ie, more people looking for work), unemployment held firm at 5.0%. No smoking gun here for the RBA, at this stage.
at 11:54 AM