SPECIAL REPORT: It has been a tough year for job seekers in WA, but some new sectors have emerged to keep the state's employment levels at record highs.
While it's a close call, chances are the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut rates again before year end reflecting the poor business investment outlook, greater than expected weakness in commodity prices, and the $A remaining too high.
Loans for new houses have fallen to their lowest level for three and a half years, another sign of slowdown in Western Australia's home building sector.
Vacancies are rising rapidly in the residential leasing market, while at the same time median rents are falling; but that's just the market returning to normal from its recent highs, according to a prominent local property player.
Western Australia has experienced its first year of negative interstate migration since 2002, according to the latest population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
As the financial year draws to a close, not-for-profit organisations are seeking inventive ways to create sustainable income, but it's far from a one-size-fits-all approach.
The average home price dropped 0.3 per cent, to $545,000, in Perth in the 12 months to March, against a national average gain of 6.9 per cent, to $576,100.
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.
Foreign buyers are not having a significant impact on Perth's apartment market, with fresh research by Urbis showing they only make up around 7 per cent of buyers.
Our transport feature analyses road, rail and port projects underway and other projects on hold as the state seeks to tackle the mounting congestion challenges facing commuters and industry.
Home loan approvals for construction of new homes in Western Australia show the heat has come out of the market considerably, with the number of loans issued down 14 per cent on the same time last
After more than a decade of strong interstate migration to Western Australia, the number of people moving to the west coast is being outstripped by the number of Sandgropers heading for the east coast, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The number of loans for housing in Western Australia slid by 8.5 per cent in the first month of 2015, providing more evidence of cooling in the residential property sector.
Western Australia's residential property sector has had a rough start to 2015, with building approvals on the way down, new home sales slipping, and median house prices continuing a slow decline, a
Western Australian businesses borrowed more last year than at any time since the GFC, with commercial finance up 14.9 per cent to $44.8 billion on the previous year's figure, according to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Population growth is slowing, but Perth is still expanding and the challenges of a maturing city mean land developers are in for another busy year. The annual Special Report also includes an updated list of WA's biggest land developers.
Industry groups are at the vanguard of a renewed push for workplace reform following Productivity Commission issues papers released as part of a broad review of the labour market.
The state government has been urged to consider other measures to boost revenue rather than increasing property stamp duty, which has become a significant contributing factor in the stalling residential market, according to an influential local property player.
Employment growth in the construction industry will be strong in this quarter, according to a report by Hays Recruitment, as the continued influx of new people to the state drives demand for residential properties.
A surprise fall in home loan approvals in November shows the national housing market is starting to moderate and a rate cut should be on the cards early in 2015, according to the Real Estate Institute of Australia.
Building approvals rose 1.2 per cent in Western Australia in November, according to seasonally-adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, contributing to national approvals reaching
The tourism industry has called for the state government to do more to take advantage of a sharp fall in occupancy and room rates in the state's accommodation sector.
Western Australia led the nation in population growth in the 12 months to June 2014, but the state has experienced the slowest growth rate in eight years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Leasing of capital equipment is expected to pick up in the New Year, with three in 10 businesses intending to acquire assets in the March quarter, according to data released by hire company Alleasing.
Export growth has helped lift Western Australia's economic performance above budget expectations, with gross state product up nearly 5.5 per cent in real terms over the 12 months to June 30, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Perth house prices fell by 0.1 per cent in the September quarter, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, making it the only capital city to record a fall in dwelling values over the peri
Our annual Apartment Developers feature discusses the oversupply debate of apartments in Perth's inner city, the government's proposed changes to strata titles, and the next wave of demand for apartment projects.
Housing finance commitments in Western Australia rose by 0.8 per cent in September, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' seasonally adjusted figures, bucking a national falling trend.
Western Australians are more likely to go online to find the best deal and be influenced by user reviews when shopping online than any other state, according to new research by Bankwest.
Energy Minister Mike Nahan has hailed the removal of the carbon price as the reason behind Western Australians receiving an 8 per cent drop in electricity prices.
Record building approvals in 2013-14 have resulted in an all-time high of dwelling commencements in Perth, but the latest data show housing construction may have hit the peak of the cycle.
Western Australia's residential building sector has broken historical records, setting a new high of $1.99 billion worth of work in June, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Stat
Housing finance for owner occupation fell 2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms last month, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' August figures.
August saw mixed performance in retail, with turnover up 0.1 per cent on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the latest monthly report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
