Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre

31/08/2026

Celebrating our talented research assistant, Tayla Chown, who was honoured as the top graduating student in Economic Honours at Curtin University by the Economic Society of Australia WA!

Tayla joined BCEC in July last year and has been an invaluable member of our research team, contributing to multiple publications throughout her time with us. Congratulations, Tayla!

27/08/2026

This morning, BCEC Director Professor Alan Duncan joined an expert panel at The Cost-of-Living Gender Gap breakfast, hosted by the Wellbeing Collective with Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre and Bankwest.

The discussion explored a critical issue that affects many Western Australians: while rising living costs are placing pressure on households across the board, the impacts are not felt equally.

Gender, income, caring responsibilities and access to opportunity all shape financial wellbeing outcomes, often leaving some groups more vulnerable to ongoing financial stress.

Thank you to the Financial Wellbeing Collective for bringing together an outstanding panel, including Lacey Filipich (Money School), Sonja Trio (Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS)), Zoe O'Neill Personal Leadership Trainer and Mentor and Helena Jakupovic (Financial Wellbeing Collective), to unpack the structural factors driving these inequities and discuss what meaningful change could look like.

Thank you to everyone who attended and joined in the conversation.

26/08/2026

Australia's labour market held steady in July, retaining most of June's surprise employment gains.

BCEC's latest Monthly Labour Market Update shows the national unemployment rate was effectively unchanged at 4.5%, while full-time employment continued to grow.

The standout result was Western Australia, where employment fell sharply in what may be a sign of labour market softening, a statistical anomaly, or a combination of both.

The update also examines the growing challenge of real wages, which continue to lag inflation, and what this means for households, productivity and the interest rate outlook.

Key insights:
- Labour market remains resilient following June's jobs surge
- Unemployment broadly unchanged at 4.5%
- WA records an unusually large employment decline
- Real wages continue to fall behind inflation

Read the full update for BCEC's analysis 👉 https://bit.ly/MLMUJul26

National unemployment rate essentially unchanged, but rounding pushes the headline figure up from 4.4 per cent to 4.5 per cent. Modest decline in employment marks a solid outcome given the surge in jobs in previous month’s figures. Results impacted by... Read article

19/08/2026

Discover how political courage could be key to addressing Australia’s housing crisis - insights from BCEC's Professor Mike Dockery, with analysis on market trends and price changes. Read more 👉

OPINION: It's time everybody faced up to a simple reality about Australia’s housing affordability crisis.

18/08/2026

What could meaningful GST reform look like?

BCEC Director Alan Duncan spoke with WAtoday about the future of GST distribution and the need for more ambitious reform options.

As Alan notes:

"The idea of returning to pre-2018 [GST distribution deal] is both naive and I think it’s blinkered, because the 2018 reforms were brought in because there was very much a perception that something needed to be fixed.

“I take issue with some of the relatively uncreative and unambitious solutions that have been offered, which is basically go back to where we were, go back to where we were with a little bit of a tinker, or stick with where we’re at, at the moment."

Read the full story 👉

Meanwhile, the state’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for public hearings in WA to help counter concerns of an east coast bias in the debate.

14/08/2026

With the release of the Productivity Commission's report on GST distribution reform, BCEC Director Professor Alan Duncan shares his thoughts.

"The Productivity Commission’s interim report raises legitimate concerns about the 2018 GST reforms. The system has become more complex, Commonwealth costs have risen beyond expectations, and the NSW-Victoria benchmark can produce outcomes that are difficult to defend.

"But we shouldn't confuse a flawed fix with the suggestion that there was nothing to fix.

"Under the pre-2018 system, WA’s GST relativity fell as low as 30 cents in the dollar, with a mechanism that amplified rather than cushioned commodity-driven volatility. Returning to that system, whatever the adjustments for 'dominant-state effects' in mining, is the wrong solution.

"Broader consideration is needed on how federal financial arrangements recognise the efforts, costs, and national spillovers created when states and territories develop opportunities that generate jobs, investment and Commonwealth revenues beyond their borders.

"The Commission has identified problems worth fixing. The challenge is to design something better than both the pre-2018 system and the 2018 reforms - one that equalises fairly, incentivises economic development and cushions volatility rather than amplifying it."

12/08/2026

Celebrating success is one of the best parts of what we do.

Last week, we joined our colleagues from the Curtin Faculty of Business and Law to recognise outstanding achievements across Semester 1.

Congratulations to BCEC's Silvia Salazar and Alan Duncan, who, together with collaborator and colleague Steven Rowley, were recognised by FBL Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Vanessa Chang for their success in securing research grants and delivering impactful research projects.

A fantastic recognition of the research excellence and impact being generated across our Centre.

Congratulations to all our colleagues from across the faculty on the recognition of their achievements, too. 👏

06/08/2026

We're pleased to collaborate with the Financial Wellbeing Collective on a new morning event series exploring the future of financial wellbeing in Australia.

The first event of the series, The Cost-of-Living Gender Gap, exploring how cost-of-living pressures are amplifying lifelong financial disadvantage for women in WA, and what a coordinated response across government, community services, industry and academic could look like.

BCEC's Director Alan Duncan joins an expert panel alongside Lacey Filipich, Sonja Trio, Zoe O'Neill and Helena Jakupovic.

📅 27 August 2026
🕢 7:30am to 9:00am
📍 Bankwest Place

Register for your ticket here: https://bit.ly/4xnzoME

05/08/2026

We're hiring!

The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) is looking for a part-time casual Research Assistant to join our team.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of one of Australia’s leading economic and social research centres, delivering high-quality research that informs policy and makes a real difference in people’s lives.

We're looking for someone with a passion for meaningful research and public policy impact.

In return, you'll join a supportive, collaborative team that values curiosity, integrity and purpose.

Find out more and apply here 👉 https://bit.ly/BCECJobs

04/08/2026

New BCEC research by Mike Dockery, Alan Duncan, Astghik Mavisakalyan and Lili Loan Vu reveals that early and heavy social media use among young Australians is linked to higher psychological distress, highlighting the importance of family support, communication, and healthy habits. Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4haQ59d