Wages stories
Higher-than-expected price rises cut global real salary growth to 0.6% in 2026, leaving workers with weaker purchasing power in most countries.
Pay is the main draw for most young Australian workers, with 72% saying wages that keep up with living costs top their job list.
The shift signals a younger, larger labour force at small firms, with average headcount up 44% since 2019 and separations down to 27%.
The latest figures point to weaker demand and tighter margins, with employment across Australian small businesses down 0.6% in July.
A survey of 500 financial decision-makers found cash flow pressures stopped 39% of UK B2B SMEs from pursuing growth last year.
The shift could widen gaps in what customers pay for the same meal and sharpen scrutiny of how far the chain can steer franchisee prices.
A softer August reading may not spare borrowers, with CreditorWatch warning that broad-based price pressures still point to another RBA hike.
Lower taxes and energy bills could unlock hiring at UK small firms, with 38% saying they would recruit more staff if costs eased.
Residential builders face rising defaults and insolvencies as Australia's AUD $150 billion data centre pipeline squeezes labour and materials.
Public anxiety over jobs, power bills and harmful content is pushing AI to the centre of New Zealand's election campaign.
Softer core inflation has given households and businesses a reprieve, but the RBA says housing and wage pressures still threaten progress.
Productivity pressures are forcing Canadian SMEs to pair cautious hiring with heavier AI spending, even as optimism about growth stays firm.
Australian workers with digital skills can command pay rises of up to 26% as employers demand them in nearly nine in 10 job ads.
Higher borrowing costs for households and businesses may be back by November as inflation risks remain tilted to the upside, CreditorWatch says.
More than two in five Irish professionals now fear AI could affect their jobs, even as most remain confident their skills will still count in three years.
AI worries are prompting more Irish workers to upskill as 41% fear their roles could be affected, a survey found.
The regulator's expanded remit comes as New Zealand moves to deepen capital markets and tighten oversight of consumer credit.
Weekly super payments surged among small hospitality operators as payday super began, easing fears of a cash flow shock but tightening timing.
Weak demand, higher fuel costs and slower payments are squeezing cash flow at small firms, with jobs growth at a near two-year low.
Higher borrowing costs and fuel prices have cooled discretionary spending, leaving consumer-facing firms under pressure as sales growth slowed.
