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Stephen JohnsonEconomics Reporter

Stephen Johnson has worked as a journalist for more than two decades, covering Federal and State politics in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, along with economics and finance. He has been a reporter with Daily Mail Australia, Australian Associated Press, the Northern Territory News and The Newcastle Herald. At The Nightly, he is focused on how economic data and government policies affect you.

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Many economists are asking how Michele Bullock and the Reserve Bank got things so badly wrong on inflation.

EconomyCommentsWhy hapless RBA is struggling to read the forecast

Economists who’ve worked for Treasury and the Reserve Bank are questioning the RBA’s ability to forecast inflation following a big shock with consumer prices.

Stephen Johnson

Why surging inflation is a little sexist.

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Why surging inflation is a little sexist

Inflation is pushing up the cost of everyday items, from shoes to entertainment — and women are being hit harder than men.

Stephen Johnson

The worst inflation figures in more than a year are widely expected to turn the Reserve Bank of Australia into the Grinches who won’t cut interest rates before Christmas. The Nightly

BusinessCommentsPremiumAussie shoppers to cut back on Christmas amid inflation woes

Australians are buying more gift cards and budget goodies or fast tracking their Christmas shopping to this month’s Black Friday sales to save money now, retail insiders say.

Stephen Johnson

The latest inflation figures mark the worst set of price pressures since mid-2024. The prospect of a rate cut next year is now very remote.

EconomyCommentsSoaring inflation brings grim news for mortgage holders

Some economists said a surge in prices, driven by electricity charges, meant the central bank might have no choice but to increase the cost of money in 2026.

Stephen Johnson

AI will take over 37 occupations that require little judgment, empathy or interpersonal skills, a top economics firm predicts.

BusinessCommentsThe jobs AI is going to kill revealed

AI will take over 37 occupations that require little judgment, empathy or interpersonal skills, a top economics firm predicts.

Stephen Johnson

The news prompted WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti to declare that WA’s current deal was ‘working for the nation’.

Federal PoliticsCommentsPremiumWhy WA could be punished under GST deal review

Western Australia could be punished under the GST deal review because it’s an economically responsible State. Here’s why that’s unfair.

Stephen Johnson

Anthony Albanese, Jim Chalmers The Nightly

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IMF calls on Australia to raise GST, bring back mining tax

The IMF says Australia needs to raise the GST, bring back the mining tax and cut back on expensive costs like the NDIS.

Stephen Johnson

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said sales are ‘off the charts’.

BusinessComments‘Off the charts’: AI chip giant Nvidia posts record result

Computer chip giant Nvidia has reported a record revenue result, with the multi-trillion-dollar AI processing behemoth set to buoy the Australian share market.

Stephen Johnson

Commonwealth public The Nightly

BusinessVideoCommentsHow to get a pay rise: Work for the government

Government-paid wages grew over the past year, new data showed, while a smaller increase in the private sector was eaten away by inflation.

Stephen Johnson

Housing affordability has plummeted.

The NightlyCan’t afford to rent or buy a house? Blame immigration

Australian houses have becoming prohibitively expensive for average-income earners. These figures prove immigration is playing a key role.

Stephen Johnson

A drop in Australia’s unemployment figures puts interest rate cuts into further doubt.

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Rate cut in doubt as unemployment falls to 4.3 per cent

Australia’s unemployment rate fell back to 4.3 per cent in October - a bad sign for borrowers. NAB has become the latest of the big four banks to say no there will be no Reserve Bank interest rate cuts in 2026.

Stephen Johnson

Aerial urban suburban cityscape landscape view in Perth Western Australia

PROPERTYCommentsPremiumFirst-homebuyers scheme sees WA mortgages sky rocket by $75k

Western Australia has seen the biggest annual increase in mortgage sizes. Investors are flooding the market ahead of Labor’s five per cent deposit scheme for all first homebuyers.

Stephen Johnson