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MNI ANALYSIS: Low Aussie Unemployment Not Sole Infla Trigger

--Weakening Money And Credit Growth More Important Factors
By Stuart Allsopp
     SINGAPORE (MNI) - The Reserve Bank of Australia continues to see the
country's declining unemployment rate as a precursor to higher wage growth and
then higher inflation, creating conditions for a future interest rates hike.
     However, problematically for the central bank, there is no correlation
between the country's unemployment rate and the rate of inflation, suggesting
the labour market could continue tightening without any impact on CPI.
     --NO CPI/UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CORRELATION 
     While data going back to the late 1990s shows inflation and wage growth go
hand in hand, creating the impression that wage growth plays a key role in
driving inflation, the fact that there is no direct correlation between CPI and
the unemployment rate suggests there is no causal link between wage growth and
inflation, despite this being a key pillar of the RBA's policy framework.
     The problem with solely extrapolating higher real wages into higher
inflation overall is that it ignores the money supply side of the equation.
Although a tight labour market should put upside pressure on real wages, if
there is no concurrent increase in the money supply then the money workers
receive in wages must come from other areas of the economy, meaning no net
inflationary impact. 
     In reality, both wage growth and the rate of inflation only appear closely
correlated because they both respond similarly to other factors, and in
particular money supply and credit growth.
     --WEAK M3 GROWTH SHOWS DISIFNLATIONARY BACKDROP
     The combination of high inflation and low unemployment that prevailed in
the mid-2000s, prior to the financial crisis, largely reflected the rapid rate
of money and credit growth as borrowers were keen to take on mortgages and banks
were more than happy to extend them. 
     With the housing market now past its peak, financial conditions are
tightening and both money supply and credit growth are declining. M3 growth came
in at just 2.2% y/y in September compared with a rate of over 20% at its
pre-financial crisis peak.
     In this context, we could see the current equilibrium of low unemployment,
low wage growth, and low inflation remain in place for some time, keeping the
RBA on hold for longer than expected.
--MNI Singapore Bureau; +65 8233 2326; email: Asia-Editor@marketnews.com

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