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Australia economy finds spark of life in consumer spending
Australia's economy grew moderately last quarter as a strong trade performance and the largest rise in consumer spending in almost three years helped offset softness elsewhere. Wednesday's data showed gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter, compared to the previous quarter when it rose by 0.4 percent. "The good news is we've now completed 23 years of continuous growth," said Michael Blythe, chief economist at Commonwealth Bank. "The bad news is we're still running below trend, which will keep upward pressure on the unemployment rate and the RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) on ... (full story)