AAP

Australian small businesses face tough conditions and finished 2012 on a pessimistic note despite a series of interest rate cuts.

Union boss Paul Howes says Australia does not have a carbon tax - it has a fixed price on carbon.

Builder and developer Lend Lease has increased its first half profit by 39 per cent.

Private health insurer nib says its first half net profit has dropped, due to higher than forecast claims costs.

Clothing retailer Pacific Brands has returned to profitability, but says sales are weak and will remain so in the coming months.

 The number of bureaucrats in Australia has dropped for the first time in more than a decade, a new analysis of jobs data shows.

 Drilling company Boart Longyear has appointed Richard O'Brien, the outgoing boss of gold producer Newmont Mining, as its new chief executive.

The Australian share market is firmer as local earnings results overshadow a weaker finish on US markets.

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart will be on the agenda at the Australian Workers' Union national conference.

BlueScope Steel has posted a $12 million loss for the first half of the financial year, and expects continuing improvement in its underlying profit.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank says interest rates on deposit accounts may be about to fall as other sources of funds become cheaper and more accessible for banks.

The Australian dollar is more than half a US cent lower after falls in gold prices and US stocks on Friday.

US President Barack Obama has called for quick congressional action designed to grow the US economy, create jobs and make the US a magnet for manufacturing.

One of the problems with labour productivity is that a fair proportion of the population just doesn't seem to understand what it is.

The Australian dollar continued its move higher after a rally in the yen helped push the US dollar lower.

Australian shares have closed flat, with the benchmark index holding above 5,000 points for a third day.

The Reserve Bank of Australia says the mining investment boom will peak sooner and at a lower level than previously expected.

Australian-based miner Perseus is looking forward to improved earnings and production results after its first half profit more than doubled to $32.5 million.

Australia's peak industry lobby group says more than one third of businesses plan to cut jobs in 2013.

Economists from two of Australia's largest banks say several more interest rate cuts are needed to support the economy in 2013 as the boom in mining investment peaks. 

Australia's crop farmers are gearing up for a better than average harvest despite a summer of scorching heat, bushfires and widespread flooding.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has laid out the coalition's broad economic strategy, saying his government would inject an "instantaneous adrenalin charge" into the economy through scrapping taxes a

Australia's population is set to hit 23 million by early May.

ANZ's first quarter net profit dropped by nearly a fifth to $1.36 billion.

Shadow assistant treasurer Mathias Cormann says the prime minister and treasurer agreed to the mining tax without understanding its finer detail.

Losses among the major banks and miners have dragged the Australian share market lower, but it continues to push above 5,000 points.

The head of Australia's competition watchdog says it was hard to get grocery suppliers to come forward to give evidence about alleged improper practices by Coles and Woolworths.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is urging the Group of 20 major economies to close tax loopholes that allow profitable multinational companies to exploit differences in taxation regimes to avoid tax.

US stocks have traded flat despite the excitement from two giant M&A deals, the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, and Berkshire Hathaway and 3G's takeover of ketchup maker Heinz.

The Australian dollar marked time during the afternoon session after traders earlier pushed it to a fresh one-week high in response to brighter consumer confidence data.