Signs are emerging that a two-year hiring burst that cut Australian unemployment by almost a percentage point is starting to cool. Labor market resilience has been central to the Reserve Bank optimism, but the prospect of slower hiring and a jobless rate drifting higher would make it tougher to maintain its “glass half full” approach. Such a turn would erode the likelihood of faster wage growth and inflation heading back toward the midpoint of the RBA’s 2-3 percent target. Then there’s the general election that’s set to be called by May. In the lead up to recent ballots, business has hunkered down on hiring and ... (full story)