This paper provides a response to the recently published critique of modern monetary theory (MMT) by Drumetz/Pfister, which is based on a superficial representation of the body of knowledge and follows a familiar script: MMT is about printing money to solve all problems and will cause...

In 2004 money wages continued to grow at a moderate rate within Reserve Bank limits. In May, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission raised the federal minimum wage by $19 as part of the safety net adjustment. The workplace reform agenda of the federal government continued to be largely...

In the past few years, there have been a number of critical assessments of the job creation proposal that has been variously termed the Job Guarantee (JG), Public Service Employment (PSE), Buffer Stock Employment (BSE), or Employer of Last Resort (ELR) program. (The terms are interchangeable and...

In this review of the Australian labour market for 2001 we examine the persistence of the unemployment problems in Australia. We then review four issues: a)the youth labour market, b)the position of older males in the Australian labour market, c)work-force access to long service leave, and d)the...

There was evidence of a very modest acceleration of wage growth in late 2003. The workplace reform agenda slowed in 2003, with the federal government attempting to outlaw any apparent manifestations of union power, such as pattern bargaining and bargaining fees, through legislative reform. No...

The Australian labour market continues to demonstrate resilience in the face of weaknesses in the international economy and domestic economy. The US economy remains in the doldrums and Japan still remains in recession. Locally, a severe drought has wiped at least one per cent off projected GDP...