Latest News
STEM professionals in schools
The ESA Central Council and the heads of Economics departments at various Australian universities have had a number of discussions about declining enrolments in Economics and the lack of diversity in enrolments. There are low enrolments of women, but there are also low enrolments of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is largely due to the decline in the number of high schools that offer Economics as a subject. High schools in disadvantaged areas are particularly unlikely to offer Economics.
We can and should keep unemployment below 4%, says our survey of top economists
Poll 60
Australia’s leading economists believe Australia can sustain an unemployment rate as low as 3.75% – much lower than the latest Reserve Bank estimate of 4.25% and the Treasury’s latest estimate of 4.5%.
IEA Update from Dani Rodrik
The most important development to report is that our project on Advancing Women in Leadership in Economics, with the acronym IEA-WE, has been fully launched. This is a multi-year project that has been generously funded by Co-Impact Foundation and the Open Society Foundation.
Awards 2023
A number of prestigious awards were bestowed upon worthy economists at ACE2023, held in Brisbane. Read on to find out who won the 2023 ESA National Awards.
Australian Conference of Economists 2023
The Australian Conference of Economists (ACE) 2023 was held from the 9 - 12 July 2023 in Brisbane, Queensland.
The aim was to organise a conference with interest to all economists, both academic and professional. Only by a balanced approach of practice and theory can we solve the problems our society faces.
Budget 2023
Poll 59
Our panellists were asked the following 2023 budget question: "On May 9, the government delivered a budget designed, in the Treasurer's words, to strike a balance between relief, repair and restraint'. What grade would you give the budget, given that objective: A, B, C, D, E or F?"
Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
How economists would raise $20 billion per year
Poll 58
When panellests were asked to find an extra A$20 billion per year to fund government priorities like building nuclear submarines and responding to climate change, Australia’s top economists overwhelmingly back land tax, increased resource taxes, an attack on negative gearing and extending the scope of the goods and services tax.
Photo credit by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
Responses (59)
Modernising Research Assessment in Australia
The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia are seeking the views of researchers in Australia on how assessment practices in universities, governments and the private sector shape research careers and how they influence researchers’ choices and priorities.
Unreserved - RBA's latest release of digitised archival records
The latest tranche of archival records has been released in the Bank’s digital archive, Unreserved. It includes additional records from the Bank’s Research Department in the 1970s which span issues of contemporary relevance in relation to inflation shocks, the first Research Discussion Papers and early quantitative work on economic modelling and forecasting.
Eminent Speaker Series 2023
The Central Council Executive is delighted to see the return of the Eminent Speaker Series. Professor Joshua Gans of University of Toronto will visit three locations as part of this program. If you missed seeing Professor Gans in person, you can follow the links here to catch up on his presentation.
Call for Papers - IEA Congress
The call for papers for contributed sessions closes on Feb 28. Papers can be submitted here.
Leading economists back Federal Government action to curb rising gas and electricity prices
Poll 57
Australia’s top economists have overwhelmingly endorsed intervention to restrain gas and electricity prices, with only three of the 47 leading economists surveyed believing the best thing the government can do is to leave things to the market.
Photo credit: Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND
Responses (47)
Unreserved - RBA's latest release of digitised archival records
The Reserve Bank has been releasing a large volume of digitised archival records to the public through our digital archive (called Unreserved). These records span nearly 200 years of Australia’s economic, financial and social history. The latest release includes records about the work and influence of Dr HC Coombs along with additional records from the Bank’s Research Department, with much of the new information covering the period from the Bank’s ‘separation’ from the original Commonwealth Bank in 1960 through to the early 1970s.
WEN Credible Blog Series Writing Competition - Winners Announcement
In 2022, NSW WEN hosted its inaugural writing competition as part of the Credible Economist series.
ACE 2022
Australian Conference of Economists (ACE) 2022 was held from 10 to 13 July 2022 in Hobart, Tasmania as an in-person event. Our theme, Economics in the New Normal, sought to address the challenges that a post-pandemic world faces.
Vale Professor Geoffrey Brennan
It is with great sadness that the Economic Society of Australia acknowledges the passing of Professor Geoffrey Brennan.
Geoffrey Brennan was an outstanding scholar, who did ground-breaking work in economics and philosophy and at their intersection and played a major role in the development of PPE as a global interdisciplinary research program.
Events
Isolation Trivia Night September
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Sep 27, 2023, 6:00 pm
Come and join the Queensland Young Economists for its monthly trivia social! On the last Wednesday of every month, we will be meeting for a night of trivia.
View ...Economic Society of Australia (WA) - Post-AGM Dinner
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Thursday Sep 28, 2023, 7:00 pm
Members and non-members are cordially invited to attend the Economic Society of Australia (WA Branch) 2023 Annual General Meeting and Dinner at the Royal Perth Yacht Club.
View ...
Economics of Housing Solutions - Housing Workshop
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Friday Sep 29, 2023, 9:30 am
The Economics Society of SA, Stretton Institute and University of Adelaide invite you to participate in an “Economics of Housing Solutions” workshop.
View ...
The Monthly Debrief
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Friday Sep 29, 2023, 5:00 pm
Join us for an informal networking event on the last Friday of each month. No registration required.
View ...Econometric WORKSHOP 1: DATA IMPORTING & BASIC DATA WRANGLING
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Monday Oct 2, 2023, 6:30 pm
This is the first Workshop in the series of three separate Econometric Workshops that have been jointly organised by the WA Young Economists Network (WA YEN), WA Treasury and the Curtin Economics Society (CES) which are free for all Students to attend and will be delivered by Zac Muscat (Economist, WA Dept. of Treasury).
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Escaping the Empire: How Australia learned to thrive in a volatile world economy
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Tuesday Oct 3, 2023, 5:30 pm
Come and listen to Professor David Vines, a special guest from Oxford, England discuss the history and significance of the Hawke-Keating reforms and how they continue to impact our approach to macroeconomic policy making.
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Young Economists-ESA ACT - Public v Private
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Tuesday Oct 3, 2023, 6:00 pm
From: Australian Capital Territory
Panel Discussion: Gas Price Caps - ONLINE ONLY
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Thursday Oct 5, 2023, 5:30 pm
Gas Price Caps: Are they meeting their short-term goal of reducing gas prices? Are they hindering longer-term goals such as achieving net zero?
View ...
WEN professional development workshop: Communicating economics - ONLINE ONLY
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Monday Oct 9, 2023, 12:00 pm
Do you wish you had more opportunities to share your ideas about economics? Is there research you’ve done, a blog you’re about to write, or just a general observation about the world that could be promoted and shared to a public audience or via social media?
View ...Econometric WORKSHOP 2: CHARTING & TABLES
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Monday Oct 9, 2023, 6:30 pm
This is the second Workshop in the series of three separate Econometric Workshops that have been jointly organised by the WA Young Economists Network (WA YEN), WA Treasury and the Curtin Economics Society (CES) which are free for all Students to attend and will be delivered by Zac Muscat (Economist, WA Dept. of Treasury).
View ...
Competition Economics: Is It Broken?
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Oct 11, 2023, 12:15 pm
In this session, Dr Lilla Csorgo, Chief Economist of the ACCC will present on the topic Competition Economics: Is It Broken?. This lunchtime event will include an interactive Q&A session.
View ...Econometric WORKSHOP 3: CHARTING & TABLES
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Oct 11, 2023, 6:30 pm
This is the third and final Workshop in the series of three separate Econometric Workshops that have been jointly organised by the WA Young Economists Network (WA YEN), WA Treasury and the Curtin Economics Society (CES) which are free for all Students to attend and will be delivered by Zac Muscat (Economist, WA Dept. of Treasury).
View ...
Gender Gaps: Causes and Origins
Date: Thursday Oct 12, 2023, 5:30 pm
Keith Hancock Lecture 2023: Presented by Emeritus Professor Alison Booth
Recent research in experimental and behavioural economics has focused on the role that preferences might play in explaining economic outcomes. These preferences include attitudes to risk and willingness to compete, which can shape gender differences. In the 2023 Keith Hancock Lecture, Emeritus Prof Alison Booth will draw on her recent research that utilises both laboratory experiments and field experiments.
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Intergenerational Report 2023 – Australia’s future to 2063
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Friday Oct 13, 2023, 12:30 pm
Join us for a discussion on the Intergenerational Report, looking forward to Australia's next 40 years.
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Professional Members Networking Event
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Thursday Oct 19, 2023, 5:30 pm
From: Australian Capital Territory
The Economic Society of Australia (ACT) invites all their Professional Members to attend a networking event at the Commonwealth Club.
Nicholas Ward, Chief Economist at Universities Australia will be able to informally chat with members.
As this is a special function for Professional Members only places are limited so book early. This is a free event.
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Childcare Choices: What Parents Want
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Oct 25, 2023, 12:15 pm
Joel Bowman will be sharing the insights from the NSW Productivity Commission’s recent report Childcare choices: what parents want.
View ...
Isolation Trivia Night October
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Oct 25, 2023, 6:00 pm
Come and join the Queensland Young Economists for its monthly trivia social! On the last Wednesday of every month, we will be meeting for a night of trivia.
View ...
Briefing: Breast cancer awareness - Economics informed policy
Event Type: Partner Event
Date: Thursday Oct 26, 2023, 12:15 pm
To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ABE has organised a panel of leading experts from the fields of economics, business and healthcare to canvas the economics of breast cancer.
View ...Welcome
Welcome to the National website of the Economic Society of Australia (The Society). The Society is primarily concerned with promoting discussion and debate of economic issues within Australia.
