Per the Australian Bureau of Statistics hours worked decreased by 8.5 million hours (0.4 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms between October and November 2022, and employment increased by 64,000 people (0.5 per cent). Some of the slowing in hours worked reflected the measure coming off the back of a 2.4 per cent increase in October, and also a higher than usual number of people working fewer hours because they were sick.
In seasonally adjusted terms, in November 2022: unemployment rate remained at 3.4%, participation rate increased to 66.8%, employment increased to 13,769,400, employment to population ratio increased to 64.5%, underemployment rate decreased to 5.8%, monthly hours worked decreased to 1,901 million, full-time employment increased by 34,200 to 9,601,500 people, part-time employment increased by 29,800 to 4,167,800 people.
Swiss National Bank tightens monetary policy further and raises SNB policy rate to 1.0%
The SNB is tightening its monetary policy further and is raising the SNB policy rate by 0.5 percentage points to 1.0%. In doing so, it is countering increased inflationary pressure and a further spread of inflation. It cannot be ruled out that additional rises in the SNB policy rate will be necessary to ensure price stability over the medium term. To provide appropriate monetary conditions, the SNB is also willing to be active in the foreign exchange market as necessary.
The SNB policy rate change applies from 16 December 2022. Banks’ sight deposits held at the SNB will be remunerated at the SNB policy rate of 1.0% up to a certain threshold. Sight deposits above this threshold will be remunerated at an interest rate of 0.5%, and thus still at a discount of 0.5 percentage points relative to the SNB policy rate. With this tiered remuneration of sight deposits and open market operations, the SNB is ensuring that the secured short-term Swiss franc money market rates are close to the SNB policy rate.
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, and in a way that helps to sustain growth and employment. At its meeting ending on 14 December 2022, the MPC voted by a majority of 6-3 to increase Bank Rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 3.5%. Two members preferred to maintain Bank Rate at 3%, and one member preferred to increase Bank Rate by 0.75 percentage points, to 3.75%.
The ECB decided to raise the three key interest rates by 50 basis points and, based on the substantial upward revision to the inflation outlook, expects to raise them further. In particular, the Governing Council judges that interest rates will still have to rise significantly at a steady pace to reach levels that are sufficiently restrictive to ensure a timely return of inflation to the 2% medium-term target. Keeping interest rates at restrictive levels will over time reduce inflation by dampening demand and will also guard against the risk of a persistent upward shift in inflation expectations. The Governing Council’s future policy rate decisions will continue to be data-dependent and follow a meeting-by-meeting approach.
The Federal Open Market Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. In support of these goals, the Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 percent. The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time. In determining the pace of future increases in the target range, the Committee will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments. In addition, the Committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities, as described in the Plans for Reducing the Size of the Federal Reserve’s Balance Sheet that were issued in May. The Committee is strongly committed to returning inflation to its 2 percent objective.
