Author: Huw McKay, Westpac and ANU

The Australian economy presents a conundrum for both policymakers and outside observers.

Despite a spectacular effort in evading the worst of the 2008/09 downturn and an impressive recovery trajectory in the labour market through 2010, a striking undercurrent of pessimism has emerged. Read more…

Author: Huw McKay, Westpac and ANU

The great misfortune of Japan’s earthquake will shape the contours of economic activity in the country for some time to come.

Japanese private sector estimates of the economic cost are centring on 3 per cent of GDP. Read more…

Authors: Huw McKay, Yu Sheng and Ligang Song, ANU

China’s increasing demand for resources has been a key feature of the global landscape over the last decade. Despite its now dominant position in many spheres of the resources market, China’s per capita consumption of resources is still relatively low, consistent with its low income status. The path that China takes from here will have profound implications for the global demand and supply balance.

Will China continue to follow a path similar to Korea, will it eventually look more like Japan, a resource-intensive high-income economy, or will  it transition to a resting place similar to that of Western Europe and the United States? Read more…