Government

The number of small business operators in Western Australia has risen by 5.8 per cent over the year to February, well ahead of the national average of 1.4 per cent, the Bankwest Business Trends rep

Returns to Western Australia mining, engineering and technical services players operating offshore have been blunted by the falling commodities prices and sovereign risk.

Western Australia's minerals exploration spending has reached its lowest level since the March quarter of 2007, according to the latest update from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

As a big private company with a healthy balance sheet, BGC Contracting can afford to be strategic as the commodity cycle turns, according to CEO Greg Heylen.

Small businesses will get a tax cut from July after the Senate passed a budget package with little debate.

Average stamp duty costs have surged by up to a staggering 800 per cent in the past 20 years, a new analysis shows.

The average house price in Perth dropped 2.7 per cent in the March quarter to $535,000, while the national average climbed to almost $660,000.

Engineer, entrepreneur and restaurateur Michael O'Hanlon has declared he will run for the position of Perth lord mayor at the October election, based on an ambitious three-point economic plan for the city.

The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission has raised the state's minimum wage 2.1 per cent from next month, despite concerns it could hurt an already soft job market.

Construction of the $360 million St John of God Midland Public Hospital has been completed on time and on budget, with Brookfield Multiplex handing the keys to the state government and the hospital operator today.

Claims of a massive cost blowout for Perth's new stadium have been denied by the state government, which says the latest estimate of $1.6 billion simply reflects a different way of presenting the numbers.

The unemployment rate across Australia, and especially in Western Australia, has recorded a surprising fall, with the local number affected by a special adjustment by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Tony Abbott reckons it's hard to pay a Sydney mortgage, even on a cabinet minister's pay packet, one day after Treasurer Joe Hockey said Sydney housing was affordable and advised potential first home buyers to get "a good job that pays good money".

The unemployment rate is expected to have remained steady in May, with job cuts in the coal and iron ore sectors keeping a lid on jobs growth.

Conflict of interest concerns have again been raised about Transport Minister Dean Nalder, this time regarding the contentious $1.6 billion Perth Freight Link.

Home loan approvals were surprisingly strong in April, up 1 per cent, as low interest rates sparked demand for new houses, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Treasurer Joe Hockey has offered two pieces of advice to solve Australia's housing affordability problem - build more homes and get a good job that pays well.

At 25.3 per cent, WA's gender pay gap is the largest in Australia, and is one of four main barriers to women joining boards, according to a new report.

Mining company profits have fallen for the fourth consecutive quarter, taking their decline in the year to March to 25.7 per cent, according to the latest business indicators released by the Austra

The state government has signed six historic indigenous land use agreements covering 200,000 square kilometres of the South West of Western Australia.

The state government expects about half of local prospectors' program of work applications will be fee-free from the start of July, after it substantially increased the size threshold.

Western Australia's housing indemnity insurance scheme has been exposed by the collapse of two Perth-based builders, with the state government facing a $12 million cost and a rise in building insurance premiums expected as a result.

Developers are expected to compete strongly for a prime slice of riverfront land in East Fremantle, with the federal government putting the Leeuwin Barracks up for sale.

Treasurer Mike Nahan has defended legislation he introduced to end the long-running $1.7 billion Bell Group legal story after it was criticised by the Australian and Western Australian bar associations.

Australia has notched up its highest monthly trade deficit on record, driven largely by a slump in coal and iron ore exports.

If you think you're working harder to earn less then you're right, because that's one of the less pleasing aspects of Australia's latest economic health check.

Australian retail spending has hit a wall after 10 straight months of gains, with big falls in sales of liquor, footwear, food and recreational goods.

New vehicle sales in Western Australia were down 15.8 per cent in May, adding to a sharp decline in year-to-date activity, though one bright spot was a pick-up in sales of luxury marques.

Four companies have been shortlisted to come up with proposals for the Tonkin Highway upgrade, which forms part of the $1.12 billion NorthLink WA project.

Australia's economy has grown by a better than expected 0.9 per cent in the first three months of 2015, helped by strong exports and home building activity.

Prominent Western Australian Labor MP Ken Travers has quit the shadow cabinet, citing personal reasons.

The Fair Work Commission has announced a 2.5 per cent increase to the national minimum wage to start from July 1, prompting fears it could worsen an already tough job market.