The Dismal Science

With fears it may once again be on the rise, we talk all things inflation. What causes it? Why is it bad? And is it coming back? Plus, how much slack is left in the labour market and has the fun stopped for GameStop?

Australia is a global laggard on the vaccine rollout and is well off the pace to meet its targets. So what is the rest of the world getting right, what are we getting wrong and should we be concerned? Plus, employment gets back to pre-pandemic levels and what is a non-fungible token?

The US is about to embark on a grand fiscal experiment to run the economy hot, while in Australia Governor Philip Lowe is promising the same on the monetary side until 2024. We look at the new radical orthodoxy. Plus, the latest GDP numbers, the government attempts to save the tourism industry and the city or the bush.

Crises change economic thinking. Live from the Australian Governance Summit, we look at what economists have learned from the pandemic, plus the latest jobs numbers and is inflation coming back?

We recorded this episode on 1 March.

We look at the IMF's forecasts for global growth in 2021 and its policy recommendations for recovery. Plus, confidence in Australia is up again and Bitcoin mining's effect on the planet.

On a short break now till the first week of March.

We unpick the GameStop phenomenon to see what it all means. Is this the end of short-selling, the efficient markets hypothesis and shareholder capitalism as we know it? Are memes the new analysis? Or is it a lot of fun signifying nothing? Plus, the RBA's outlook for the year, the Biden stimulus and new thinking on the minimum wage.

We mark the end of the longest of years with the longest of episodes. Ivan quizzes Mark on what's in store for 2021, plus the final (excellent) jobs numbers for the year, the government releases its update on the improving economic outlook, the latest on Brexit and Mark's summer reading list.

We'll be back with more episodes in late January.

Confidence numbers are up and people are feeling optimistic as we approach the end of the roughest of years. Plus, tourism post-COVID and is Facebook a monopoly?

Australia is officially out of recession but GDP is still well down year-on-year. The RBA says it's 'ready to do more if necessary'. Plus, more good news on the vaccine and what's going on with Australian coal exports to China.

Biden names former Fed Governor Janet Yellen as his nominee for Treasury Secretary. What does her appointment mean for US economic policy? Plus did JobKeeper work, super debates and Bitcoin is back.