Australia posted the biggest monthly trade surplus in history on the back of record iron ore exports, as the economy continued to rack up new markers in its rebound from last year's deep recession.
Wages grew at a fractionally faster pace than expected in the final three months of 2020, lagging expectations for record property price increases this year.
Relatively high confidence among shoppers and the continued drop in the unemployment rate saw modest retail spending growth in the first few weeks of 2021.
The diplomatic row between Australian and China rolls on, but new figures show trade between the two countries has not been totally throttled by the war of words.
Former Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens once told parliamentarians that the Australian business community was lacking the "animal spirits" that were needed to drive economic growth.
Banks will pass on as much relief to customers as they can should the Reserve Bank board cut its key interest rates on Tuesday, the peak industry body says.
Reserve Bank officials have left the cash rate unchanged at a record low 0.25 per cent, allowing Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's federal budget to have the economic limelight.
A $644 million package to credit electricity bills is a smart move to encourage spending, economists say, while recent retail trade data is strong for WA.
Western Australia's job vacancies hit an eight-year high after soaring 91 per cent in recent months, as the state rebounds from COVID-induced restrictions.
Demand for new houses remained strong in August, particularly in Western Australia, following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in most jurisdictions.
Retail spending fell across the nation in August, with Victoria recording a massive 12.6 per cent drop as the state's COVID-19 restrictions hit non-essential retail businesses.
Total wages for men have fallen about 17 times more than wages for women in Western Australia since March, despite a higher rate of female unemployment.
Mineral exploration in Western Australia has reached a five-year high since the approvals process for applications was halved two months ago, with the surge dominated by gold projects.
More than 32,000 Western Australians found jobs in August, and the unemployment rate plunged 1.3 percentage points, as the nation posted a big improvement.
With the federal government withdrawing its relief for the childcare sector, a new report argues increasing funding could bolster Australia's economic recovery.