Germany’s economic confidence improved in June but remained negative as the economy faces uncertainties posed by the war in Ukraine and the tightening of monetary policy, survey results from the ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research showed on Tuesday. The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment climbed to a four-month high of minus 28.0 points in June from -34.3 […]

Australia’s biggest employers are reeling from the higher-than-expected 5.2 per cent rise to the national minimum wage, arguing it adds to the list of challenges for pandemic-hit businesses that include surging power bills and supply chain problems. The decision made on Wednesday by the Fair Work Commission, which reviews the rate every year, means workers on the minimum wage will […]

The rule for Treasury bosses is that, as public servants, any frank and fearless advice they have about the state of the federal budget must be given only to their political masters, and only in private. But last week the present secretary to the Treasury, Dr Steven Kennedy, used a speech to economists to deliver a particularly frank assessment of […]

Vladimir Putin’s annual economic forum in St. Petersburg was always a hot ticket for Russian and foreign business tycoons eager to curry favour with the Kremlin by hosting glitzy parties or announcing major investments. His invasion of Ukraine has made it a radioactive one. Many business leaders are concerned about even being seen at this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic […]

The European Central Bank said on Thursday that it “intends” to raise its key interest rates by a quarter basis point in July after policymakers assessed that the three conditions that should be satisfied before the bank starts raising rates have been met. The central bank also unveiled the latest ECB Staff macroeconomic projections that showed a further upgrade to […]