Sunday 13 September 2009

Aussie business confidence up with employment prospects growing stronger - will the NSW Northern Rivers benefit?


Manpower Inc has joined Dun & Bradstreet in reporting some positive news for Oz on the business and employment front.
In fact both place this country in a pretty enviable position, with employers expecting profits to increase (Dun & Bradstreet) and the intent to hire employees still being weak but relatively strong when compared to the rest of the world (Manpower).
As zero growth was a common economic prediction at the beginning of 2009, it's good to see so many crystal ball gazers are so wrong.
Australian business confidence is now at a six-year high and job ads in the newspapers and online have started to increase.
Given that Kevin Rudd's popularity in the polls is still going strong, I guess the country credits Federal Labor and its economic policy with much of this good news.
The big question for us in the Northern Rivers is: will all this translate into more jobs in the region?
I suspect that national confidence levels aren't always mirrored locally and business is more likely to be asking if the present predilection for 'staycations' will result in more domestic tourism business in the hinterland and on the coast at Christmas 2009 and in the first quarter of 2010.

Manpower Inc press release
Dun & Bradstreet National Business Expectations Study article
Latest 8th September Newspoll graphic
NSW North Coast tourism industry facts & figures

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