Jamelle Agbuis

Some of our most vital export markets are facing a worsening in growth prospects for 2012.

From the bedroom, to the boardroom, to the highest office in government, the tablet is radically changing our relationship with technology and how we consume information.

Some of Australia’s biggest retailers and manufacturers are rolling out state of the art fingerprint scanning technology to record employees’ clock in and out times.

According to a new survey, the number one most overused word used by Australian professionals to describe themselves is 'creative', followed closely by 'extensive experience' and 'effective'.

Recent rulings by state authorities highlight the rare occasions when discrimination rules simply do not apply.

Skills shortages have been widely reported in the press and there is no respite on the horizon. As Australia strives to meet recent infrastructure demands as a result of natural disasters, major project initiatives and the mining resources boom, it is clear that placing a 'vacancy' ad in the newspaper is no longer enough.

Employers and recruiters unwittingly impose a ‘glass ceiling’ on disabled Australians, largely due to a lack of infrastructure and understanding – and new figures reveal that disabled people are half as likely to be employed compared to the general population.

Baby Boomers beware: Gen Y's influence on workplace culture holds no chance of waning. Cisco's latest Connected World Technology Report reveals that young people aged 18 to 29 are more invested in their technology than previously thought, an investment which will ultimately prove to have a much greater impact on both their recruitment and retention.

Facebook hopes to instantly connect users in need with suicide-prevention counselors.

Personal car-sharing spreads from California to Oregon and, very soon, to a neighborhood near you. The concept of hiring out your own vehicle has proven wildly popular here and around the globe.

Employees around the world have cheated employers to get more pay, and India, China and Australia are leading the pack, a survey has found.

The Reserve Bank's biggest concern at the moment is the eurozone crisis: those fears have driven the rate cuts in November and this month and judging by a speech in Sydney yesterday from Deputy Governor Ric Battellino.

It's a difficult task being the CEO of a big Australian bank: they have to sound concerned, informed and above all authoritative, as we saw with Westpac's Gail Kelly yesterday, and will hear from the NAB's Cameron Clyne later today and from the ANZ's Mike Smith tomorrow.

Newt Gingrich is surging in polls ahead of the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, making the former House speaker a household name again after years on the sidelines. And as he returns to the limelight, many are quickly rediscovering his independent streak.

3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol direct-injection with seven-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive 225kW/370Nm. $159,200 (Manufacturer's List Price)

The four-cylinder EcoBoost engine set to power the Ford Falcon in 2012 has been named among this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Engines.

The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, is brand new legislation in the U.S Congress. Although the bill expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods, which seems admirable enough, SOPA has caused a lot of controversy in its possible unintended consequences regarding content sharing and self-policing.

After 16 years of effort and negotiation for securing a membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 11,

We can expect China to move more quickly in changing monetary and fiscal policy next year after a flood of weak economic data for November over the weekend, and a well-timed rare statement from the country's senior policy making group on economic policy in the coming year.

Ratings group Standard and Poor's and Europe's banks have emerged as the big worry points for markets in the wake of the latest deals from the EU and eurozone.

It's now up to the 17 eurozone leaders to come up with something dramatic to regain the confidence of markets after the European Central Bank refused to backstop the zone in bond markets.

The Asian Development Bank has trimmed its 2012 growth forecast for emerging East Asian economies including China, as the eurozone crisis threatens to further slow an already weakening global economy.

Employers in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific continue to face the challenges of significant economic growth and a tight talent pool.

Around this time of year, employment commentators often publish articles about the risks arising out of work Christmas parties. These include the usual risks such as a sexual discrimination complaint, workers compensation journey claim etc.

Prolink Finance Solutions’ Muzi Dandachli will be postponing holidays until late January or early February to cope with demand which is having his business colleagues ‘chasing their tails’.

Suncorp has introduced year-one trail commissions amid other changes it says will simplify its commission structure.

With Christmas fast approaching, it's no surprise that the holiday season mindset is upon us - it ranges from the top level Execs to the Mail Room teenage interns. But before you write this period off as unproductive, here are a few thoughts around how you can keep the company's younger employees' productivity intact over the season.

Top brokers believe falling home values could spur buyers into action in 2012 as prices become "more realistic".

Australia's Reserve Bank cut rates this week, but NZ's Reserve Bank resisted the temptation to follow and sat pat yesterday, leaving its key rate at 2.5%, despite warning that the economy is slowing.