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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%.

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.

CBA Forum - catch up on the recordings
If you missed the ESA NSW Branch Cost Benefit Analysis Forum this year, you can catch up on the recordings. Visit this page.

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/

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.

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)
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.

Follow us on Twitter
We are delighted to announce the launch of ESA's Twitter account. Keep up to date with economics-related topics and be part of the conversation.

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.
Events

Unpacking the Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Australia
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Sep 27, 2023, 12:15 pm
EVENT FULLY BOOKED - Contact us to be added to the wait list.
Professor Tom Kompas from The University of Melbourne, Emma Richardson from the Commonwealth Treasury, and Nicki Hutley, Independent Economist, will unpack different aspects of the Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Australia.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Professional Ethics for Economists
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Wednesday Nov 15, 2023, 12:30 pm
Join us for this event with Professor Paul Oslington from Alphacrucis University College as he considers the basis and content of economists’ moral responsibilities, codes of ethics for economists, and whether the Economic Society has a role in devising and enforcing such codes.
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IEA World Congress
Event Type: Partner Event
Date: Monday Dec 11, 2023, 12:00 am
Call for Papers
The President of the International Economic Association (IEA) and Program Chair of the Twentieth World Congress of the IEA, invites you to submit a paper to the contributed sessions of this triennial congress, jointly organized with Universidad EAFIT, that will be held in Medellin, Colombia from December 11 to 15, 2023.
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Australian Gender Economics Workshop 2024
Event Type: ESA Event
Date: Thursday Feb 1, 2024, 9:00 am
The 7th annual Australian Gender Economics Workshop (AGEW2024), hosted by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will be held in person at the UTS campus, on the 1 – 2 February 2024. Registration will open later in the month. Paper or extended abstract submissions are currently open and will close on Sunday 17th September 2023 at 11:59 pm (AEST). For more information please visit: https://sites.google.com/uts.edu.au/agew-2024/home.
Call for Papers - deadline is now extended to Monday October 2nd, 2023 at 11:59 pm (AEST).

68th Annual Conference of AARES
Event Type: Partner Event
Date: Tuesday Feb 6, 2024, 12:00 am
The 68th Annual Conference of AARES will be held in Canberra, Australia from 6 to 9 February 2024.
The AARES 2024 Annual Conference will explore the grand challenges that are facing the Australasian region and beyond, such as biosecurity, climate change, environmental degradation, energy system transitions, and food security. The conference will provide a forum for our Society to explore new opportunities for research and development, and policy practice that can address these grand challenges in securing efficient, effective, and equitable outcomes. Distinguished researchers and professionals will present keynote presentations to inspire and stimulate discussion.
View ...Welcome
Welcome to the New South Wales Branch of the Economic Society of Australia
The NSW Branch of the Economic Society of Australia was formed in 1925, making it one of the most established professional associations in Australia. The rich history of activities continues, and with a strong membership, it is the largest of the state branches in Australia.