- Australian Jobs continue to fade
- Lower sales higher costs to blame
- Businesses expect weak 2014
- Jobs losses could mean more rate cuts


By Andrew Nelson

When the rest of the world had a GFC, they also had to endure the GFC jobs market and it wasn't a good one. The US is just starting to recover and the Europeans wish they were. Australia was spared the worst of it through 2008-2013, but those halcyon days of low unemployment may be drawing to a quick close, or so thinks Dun & Bradstreet.

The business information company's latest Business Expectations Survey shows that Australian businesses simply don't plan to hire new staff in the months ahead. This indicates to D&B that businesses readily expect the current economic soft patch to carry on into the new financial year.

This marks the sixth straight quarter that hiring expectations have declined, with D&B's employment index for Q3 2013 dropping to minus 3.3 points, the lowest read in four years.