Retail spending rose for the ninth straight month in April but it is unclear whether the outlook is favourable.
The Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator (BSI) rose by 0.5 per cent in trend terms in April, after a 0.8 per cent gain in March.
Consumer confidence has posted a modest rise after the central bank provided a large cut to the cash rate on May 1.
The Westpac/Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index rose by 0.8 per cent to 95.3 index points in May, up from 94.5 in April.
Treasury boss Martin Parkinson has argued the case for bringing the federal budget back to surplus, saying it is happening in a much healthier economic environment than in many other advanced economies.
A drop in the Australian currency below parity with the US dollar and a recent cut in domestic interest rates will help manufacturers, the Australian Industry Group says.
The state government has dismissed a report claiming the state cannot afford a Norway-style sovereign wealth fund - just as it prepares to unveil its own.
Slowing economic growth, inflation, and interest rate hikes by commercial banks gave the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) the impetus to cut the cash rate in May.
Up to half of all new jobs created in the next few years will be in sectors related to the booming mining industry, the Reserve Bank of Australia says.
Western Australia continues to lead the nation in employment, with the creation of about 6,800 jobs in April pushing the state's jobless rate to a three-and-a-half-year low.
The mining state's unemployment rate fell to 3.8 per cent during the month, from 4.1 per cent in March.
Mining giant Rio Tinto has flagged cutting some of its multi-billion dollar Australian expansion projects amid soaring costs, but says its Western Australian iron ore developments are likely to be unaffected.
Australia remains vulnerable to macroeconomic headwinds and too reliant on the central bank to stimulate the economy, says former Liberal leader John Hewson.
Job advertisements posted a sharp fall in April after three consecutive months of rises, a private survey shows.
Total job advertisements on the internet and in major metropolitan newspapers fell 3.1 per cent in April, the ANZ job advertisements survey showed today.
Business conditions worsened in April, unwinding the gradual improvement in activity of the past few months, a survey shows.
The National Australia Bank (NAB) Business Survey, released on Monday, showed business conditions fell three index points to zero in April.
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