Tag Archives Global Economy

A recent tweet from the NTEU ACT Division (@NTEUACT) Australia has 2nd highest level of insecure work in OECD - after Spain. We know that we are approaching 40% of the workforce undertaking insecure work. *Source: Lives on Hold - Unlocking the potential of Australia's workforce. We also hear much about "skills shortages" and the need for "flexibility", yet the…

I wonder what our current debates in Australia would or could contribute to the need to measure impact? The recent Evidence-Based Education:Policy-Making and Reform in Africa Conference raises numerous challenges, for not only an education system [Ghana], but policy makers across all sectors of Health, Education and Treasury throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), and the Abdul…

One can't help but wonder if the the lack of agreement between the Democratic and Republican parties over the proposed extension of the US debt ceiling is anything more than grand political theatre, although this time it appears to be a different ball-game with the growing role and influence of the "tea-party" members. Perhaps more telling is the role of…

From the technium... The diversity of the universe has been increasing since the beginning of time. In its very first seconds the universe contained only quarks, which began to assemble into a variety of sub-atomic particles within minutes. By the end of the first hour, the universe contained dozens of  types of particles but only two elements, hydrogen and helium.…

Facts versus faith. Joshua Gans - I was asked to write an opinion piece about Kevin Rudd’s essay in The Monthly on the GFC which, by the way, should stand for Great Fracking Complacency. It is in today’s Age and my opinion and disappointment speaks for itself. (Others seem more willing to carry ideological baggage than I am). Forget ideology…

Recipe for Disaster: The Formula That Killed Wall Street. A year ago, it was hardly unthinkable that a math wizard like David X. Li might someday earn a Nobel Prize. After all, financial economists—even Wall Street quants—have received the Nobel in economics before, and Li's work on measuring risk has had more impact, more quickly, than previous Nobel Prize-winning contributions…

Joshua Gans: The RBA Board meets tomorrow for the first time in 2009. As I argued last week, in my view the RBA ought to be cutting far more aggressively, and there is no reason not to use most or all of the ammunition they have available - cutting interest rates to 2% or below. There is no inflation risk,…

Crisis wipes $115b from Govt revenue. The global financial crisis has slashed a massive $115 billion from Government revenues over the next four years, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has revealed. [ABC News: Breaking Stories]

'Buy American' Rider Sparks Trade Debate . The stimulus bill passed by the House last night contains a controversial provision that would mostly bar foreign steel and iron from the infrastructure projects laid out by the $819 billion economic package. [washingtonpost.com - Business]

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