Business confidence fell considerably in Q4 as concerns about global and domestic economic growth mounted. Still, business conditions remained strong, albeit easing from the highs seen in Q3. The easing in conditions was evident across industries and states, but all remained in positive territory. Leading indicators also remained fairly strong, including expectations for future business conditions and future employment – an outlook at odds with the low levels of confidence reported by firms. Supply-side constraints remained tight, with around 90% of firms reporting availability of labour as a constraint on output and ... (full story)