Where's the efficiency?
As low-productivity sectors like health care rapidly expand, Australia faces a pressing need to boost productivity in other areas to maintain economic growth and living standards.
What's up with Canada?
Despite its proximity to the US and abundant natural resources, Canada's economy is hampered by inter-provincial trade barriers, powerful domestic cartels, and declining productivity, leaving it vulnerable to global trade tensions.
The Kiwi in the coal mine
New Zealand's economy is in trouble, with a double-dip recession and shrinking per capita growth. The decline stems from a lack of productivity reforms and an excessive focus on equity over efficiency. But Australia isn't much better, and we could easily join them if policymakers get complacent.
What Australia's per capita recession really means
Australia's national accounts were released last week and confirmed that our per capita recession – defined as two consecutive
The wealth of our working nation
Japan's "lost decades" of low growth are due to its declining working-age population, not necessarily failed policies. With aging populations, policymakers in developed nations such as Australia will need to focus on right metrics, not just GDP growth, to craft effective policies.
