The Real Estate Institute of Tasmania has released figures for the median house prices for Tasmania. The most expensive area is Battery Point, Hobart with a median house price of $840,000 (£392,000). The most affordable area is Bridgewater, Brighton with a median house price of $189,500 (£88,500).

Highest 10 Median House Price Suburbs
June 2008

exchange rate $1.00 AUS = £0.4667

Employers are finding it easier to attract staff and average salaries in New Zealand have increased substantially, according to the analysis of 73,000 jobs listed on Trade Me Jobs in the first half of 2008.

“Since the last quarter of 2007, we have seen the average salary increase 3.7% from $55,583 (£20,818) to $57,664 (£21,597),” said Trade Me Jobs head, Jimmy McGee. “The labour market has definitely eased, with applications per job up 8% over that period. However, wage inflation was strong,’’ he said.

IT continues to dominate the highest paid professions with IT architects, project managers and functional consultants, all averaging pay rates over $100,000 (£37,453).

“Outside of IT, the top five paid professions are doctors ($106,823), construction project managers ($95,378), engineering managers ($92,843), in-house legal counsel ($90,440) and financial controllers ($89,081),” said Mr McGee.

Wellington remains the highest paid location, buoyed by the large number of public servants and service companies, followed by Auckland and new entrant New Plymouth. Regional and secondary urban areas such as Central Hawke’s Bay and Timaru saw the greatest salary softening. Selwyn was the worst paid region with an average wage rate of $37,047, followed by Waimakariri $38,321 and Waipa $39,531.

Mr McGee said, “We are seeing two distinct trends at present. Pay rates for unskilled and semi-skilled are flat, while pay rates for mid-level earners and the highly skilled are increasing at rates above the national average.”

The biggest increase in job vacancies were accountants, travel consultants, construction site managers and accounts payable workers.

The greatest tightening was in environmental engineers, waste and water engineers, tertiary educators and doctors.
$1.00 = £2.67

American real average weekly rose slightly by 0.3 percent from May 2008 to June 2008 to $606.94 after seasonal adjustment, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Over the past 12 months, weekly earnings rose by 2.8 percent.

In June, average hourly earnings edged up by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $18.01, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 2 cents in April and 6 cents in May.

Data on American average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll reports of private non-farm establishments. Earnings of both full-time and part-time workers holding production or non-supervisory jobs are included.

June 2008 earnings not seasonally adjusted

exchange rate used $1.00 = £0.502

The American median existing-home price for all housing types was $215,100 (£108,150) in June, down 6.1 percent from a year ago when the median was $229,000 (£115,200). American existing-home sales – including single-family, townhouses, condominiums and co-ops – fell 2.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.86 million units, 15.5 percent lower than the rate in June 2007.

NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate, said there is something of a quandary in the current market. “A recent online survey of Realtors shows nearly a quarter of potential home buyers are waiting on the sidelines,” he said. “However, timing the market can be very tricky, which is why home buyers should always have a long-term view to build wealth.”

Total housing inventory at the end of June rose 0.2 percent which represents an 11.1 month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 10.8 month supply in May.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said first-time home buyers are critical to the health of the housing market. “About four in 10 homes are purchased by first-time buyers, which frees existing owners to trade up,” Yun said. “With many potential first-time home buyers on the sidelines, a first-time buyer tax credit would have a significant positive impact on both housing and the economy. Combined with permanent increases to mortgage loan limits and enhancing the FHA loan program, the housing stimulus package working its way through Congress would go a long way toward helping consumers and boosting the overall economy.”

Yun said there is a downward distortion in the price data. “With short sales and foreclosures accounting for approximately one-third of transactions, it’s hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison with a year ago when they were only a minor portion of the market,” he said.

Despite the overall sales decline, unpublished snapshot data shows existing-home sales rising significantly from a year ago in Bakersfield, California; Fort Myers, Florida; and Las Vegas.

“Sales are now beginning to pick up in Orlando, Florida, Phoenix, and Oakland, California,” Yun said. “Interestingly, sales fell in Atlanta, Houston, and Kansas City, Missouri, despite affordable home prices and solid local employment conditions.”

The median existing single-family home price was $213,800 (£107,500) in June, which is down 6.7 percent from a year ago.

The median existing condo price was $224,200 (£112,800) in June, which is 2.2 percent lower than June 2007.

West
Existing-home sales in the West rose 1.0 percent in June to a pace of 1.03 million but are 6.4 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the West was $288,400 (£145,100), which is 17.2 percent below June 2007.

South
In the South, existing-home sales fell 3.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.85 million in June, and are 18.1 percent below June 2007. The median price in the South was $185,300 (£93,200), down 2.4 percent from a year ago.

Midwest
Existing-home sales in the Midwest declined 3.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.12 million in June, and are 17.6 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $175,300 (£88,200), up 2.8 percent from June 2007.

Northeast
In the Northeast, existing-home sales fell 6.6 percent to an annual rate of 850,000 in June, and are 15.8 percent below June 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $256,700 (£129,100), down 12.6 percent from June 2007.
$1.00 = £0.503

Moscow is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates for the third consecutive year, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer. Tokyo is in second position climbing two places since last year, where as London drops one place to rank third. Oslo climbs six places to 4th place and is followed by Seoul in 5th. Asunción in Paraguay is the least expensive city in the ranking for the sixth year running.

With New York as the base city scoring 100 points, Moscow scores 142.4 and is close to three times costlier than Asunción which has an index of 52.5. Contrary to the trend observed last year the gap between the world’s most and least expensive cities now seems to be widening.

Mercer’s survey covers 143 cities across six continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. It is the world’s most comprehensive cost of living survey.

Yvonne Traber, a principal and research manager at Mercer, commented: “Current market conditions have led to the further weakening of the US dollar which, coupled with the strengthening of the Euro and many other currencies, has caused significant changes in this year’s rankings.”

She added: “Although the traditionally expensive cities of Western Europe and Asia still feature in the top 20, cities in Eastern Europe, Brazil and India are creeping up the list. Conversely, some locations such as Stockholm and New York now appear less costly by comparison.

“Our research confirms the global trend in price increases for certain foodstuffs and petrol, though the rise is not consistent in all locations. This is partly balanced by decreasing prices for certain commodities such as electronic and electrical goods. We attribute this to cheaper imports from developing countries, especially China, and to advances in technology.

Europe
Moscow is ranked the most expensive city both in Europe and globally for the third year running. The city’s score has steadily increased over the last few years and is currently at 142.4 (compared to 134.4 in 2007 and 123.9 in 2006). London is the next European city in the ranking at 3rd place (score 125), down one from last year, while Oslo has jumped six places to rank 4th with a score of 118.

Other European cities in the global Top 10 include Copenhagen at 7th and Geneva in 8th. Both cities have dropped one place from last year. Zurich remains in 9th place, whereas Milan climbs one to 10th place. Sofia in Bulgaria is again the least expensive European city for expatriates in 97th place, although the city has climbed 11 places in the overall ranking.

Several European cities have experienced a significant rise in the rankings this year, mainly as a result of local currency strengthening against the US dollar.

Middle East
Tel Aviv is again the most expensive city in the Middle East, positioned 14th (score 105) on the global list, up three places from 2007.

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have dropped significantly this year, positioned at 52 and 65, respectively. This is mainly due to the UAE dirham being pegged to the US dollar.

America
The only North American city to feature in this year’s top 50 is New York in 22nd place (score 100), dropping seven places in one year. l other US cities have also experienced a significant decline in the rankings. For example, Los Angeles has moved from 42nd to 55th place, Miami from 51st to 75th place and Washington, DC, from 85th to 107th place.

“The decline in the ranking of all US cities is due to the weakening value of the US dollar against most major world currencies,” said Mitch Barnes, principal at Mercer in the US. “The dollar has been declining steadily for the past several years, which has resulted in an overall decrease in the cost of living in 19 US cities, relative to other major global cities studied.

Canada
In 54th place (score 88.1), jumping 28 places from last year, Toronto is the most expensive city for expatriates in Canada. All other Canadian cities in the survey have experienced similar rises, with Vancouver moving from 89th to 64th, Calgary from 92nd to 66th and Montréal from 98th to 72nd. This reverses last year’s trend which saw Canadian cities decline, and places them back where they have traditionally been rated. The Canadian dollar has appreciated nearly 15% against the US dollar, the main reason for these movements.

Asia
Tokyo is the costliest Asian city, in 2nd place (score 127), two places up since last year. Seoul follows in 5th place and Hong Kong closely after in 6th. Singapore ranks 13th.

Whilst the five top-scoring cities in Asia remain relatively stable in the ranking there have been significant changes further down the list. In India, Mumbai moves up four places to reach 48, whereas New Delhi climbs 13 places to 55 due to the strengthening of the India rupee against the US dollar. Although India has experienced relatively high inflation, this has increased at similar pace to New York and has therefore had a reduced impact on its cities’ rise in the rankings. Manila rises a total of 27 places, ranking 110th, mainly as a result of price increases for international-standard accommodation.

In contrast, certain cities in this region have experienced significant falls in the ranking. Some examples are Jakarta falling from 55th to 82nd place and Bangkok dropping from 95th to 105th place.

Australia and New Zealand
Sydney continues to be the most expensive city for expatriates in this region, moving up six places in the overall ranking to reach 15th place (score 104.1). Melbourne follows in 36th place, jumping 28 places and Perth climbs 31 places to reach ranking number 53.

Both Australian and New Zealand cities are moving up in the rankings due to the appreciation of their local currencies against the US dollar. New Zealand’s cities remain the less costly option for expatriates, however, with Auckland in 78th place and Wellington in 93rd place.

As immigrants integrate into the Canadian labour market, many initially face difficulties finding employment. A new study reveals that even university-educated immigrants aged 25 to 54 who arrived in Canada within the previous five years were less likely to be employed in 2007 than their Canadian born counterparts. This was true regardless of the country in which they obtained their degree.

Employment rates for these immigrants varied according to where they received their university degree, with those educated in Western countries generally having higher rates than those educated elsewhere.

The gap in employment rates between degree-holding immigrants and the Canadian born, however, narrowed the longer an immigrant had been in Canada. For university-educated immigrants who had landed in Canada more than 10 years earlier, their employment rate in 2007 was comparable to that of the Canadian born.

Over one-third of immigrants have a university degree
In 2007, 37 percent or 1.2 million immigrants of core working age, those aged 25 to 54, had a university degree, compared with only 22 percent of the core working-age Canadian born. The difference was even more pronounced among those who immigrated between 2002 and 2007, with more than half of these immigrants, or 320,000, having a university degree.

Within that group of recent newcomers, over half had received their highest degree in Asia, followed distantly by Europe, Canada, Africa, Latin America and the United States.

Recent newcomers with Canadian degrees have lower employment rates
In 2007, out of all core working-age immigrants with a degree, one in three, or more than 420,000, had obtained their highest degree in Canada. Most of these Canadian-educated immigrants had arrived in Canada before 1997.

About 28,000 core working-age immigrants who landed between 2002 and 2007 received their highest degree in Canada. Despite their Canadian education, the employment rate in 2007 for these newcomers was 75.3 percent, much lower than the average of 90.7 percent for their Canadian born, university-educated counterparts.

Age and school attendance influence immigrant employment rates
There are a number of reasons why immigrants, particularly those who had landed more recently, may have had difficulty finding employment. Past studies have pointed to difficulties such as foreign credential recognition, language barriers, comparability of educational attainment, lack of Canadian work experience and knowledge of the Canadian labour market.

The gap in employment rates between degree-holding immigrants and the Canadian born narrowed the longer an immigrant had been in Canada. Among university-educated immigrants who had landed in Canada more than 10 years earlier, about 60 percent had a Canadian university degree. These immigrants had an employment rate in 2007 comparable to that of the Canadian born.

On average, these immigrants were much closer in age to their Canadian born peers. This, combined with their time in Canada, likely provided them with the tools and work experience to improve their chances of getting employment.

Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec
This study also explores the employment rates of immigrants aged 25 to 54 within the three provinces where the vast majority of immigrants choose to settle: Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.

Quebec had the highest proportion of immigrants who had a Canadian university degree, regardless of period of landing. British Columbia, which has a high proportion of Asian immigrants, had the highest share of immigrants with a degree from Asia. In Ontario, immigrants with Asian or Canadian degrees were most common.

In Ontario and British Columbia, immigrants with Canadian degrees had employment rates similar to those of Canadian born graduates regardless of their landing period. In Quebec, however, immigrants with Canadian degrees who had arrived since 1997 had an employment rate well below that of their Canadian born counterparts.

In the three provinces, the employment rate among university-educated immigrants who arrived prior to 1997 was close to that of their Canadian born counterparts. There was one notable exception: for the 61,000 Asian-educated immigrants in Ontario who arrived prior to 1997, their employment rate was below that of their Canadian born counterparts.

Posts-Secondary Certificates or Diplomas
In 2007, 29 percent or about 900,000 immigrants aged 25 to 54 had a post-secondary certificate or diploma (excluding a university degree). With few exceptions, immigrants with this level of education, regardless of when they landed or where they received their diploma, had employment rates well below that of similarly-educated Canadian born.

The most notable exception was immigrants with diplomas who had landed before 1997 and had obtained their post-secondary diploma within Canada. This group, representing almost half of all immigrants with diplomas, had an employment rate that was comparable with that of their Canadian born counterparts.

House prices in country South Australia have eased in the June quarter to a median of $240,000, the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) has said.

REISA President, Robin Turner, said the result was a 5.8 percent drop on last quarter but 8.9 percent rise from 12 months ago.

“With all the mining boom hype, prices may have moved a little too quickly in some areas so this small drop in the June quarter is simply a market correction. Up until last week, the farming regions had not experienced much rain in recent times, but hopefully with this downpour, rural economies will start to strengthen again.”

Mr Turner said the Upper Spencer Gulf towns were again leading the pack in the June quarter, along with Victor Harbor and Murray Bridge.

South Australia Towns Median House Prices
June Quarter 2008

assumed exchange rate $1.00 = £0.4667

The total number of jobs advertised in major Australian newspapers and on the internet fell by a seasonally adjusted 3.0 percent in June to a weekly average of 262,705 per week. This follows a 1.7 percent decrease in May. The total number of ads in June was 6.2 percent higher than 12 months ago. In trend terms the total number of job ads fell by 0.6 percent in June.

The number of job ads in major newspapers decreased by 3.5 percent in June to an average of 16,593 per week. This followed a 13.5 percent decrease in May. Newspaper ads are now 17.9 percent lower than in June 2007. In trend terms, the number of newspaper job ads fell by 2.4 percent to be 15.1 percent lower than a year ago. The fall in newspaper job ads in June was driven by decreases in Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory. In contrast, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania bucked the trend.

The number of internet job ads fell by 2.9 percent in June to average 246,112 per week. In trend terms, internet job ads continued to fall by a modest 0.5 percent in June, although they remain 11.7 percent higher over the past year.

ANZ Co-Head of Australian Economics Sally Auld, said: “Total job advertisementss have fallen in June, extending the declines we saw in May. In trend terms, we are now seeing a moderation in job advertising in both newspapers and on the internet. This is consistent with the trend easing in employment growth since the start of the year. Employment did fall in absolute terms in May, but given this was the first decline in 18 months, it is unlikely that this foreshadows a sustained downturn in employment. While employment growth should ease modestly over the next six months, we do not expect a significant slowing in labour market activity. Indeed, the risk may be that persistent skill shortages could encourage firms to hoard labour. This should ensure that while labour market conditions soften, the slowdown in employment growth and the rise in the unemployment rate will be reasonably measured.”

“On a state by state basis, Western Australia and South Australia both experienced moderate gains in newspaper job ads in June, consistent with a plateauing of job ads in those states. While Tasmania experienced strong growth in the month, the data are historically volatile due to the relatively small number of ads in the state.”

Canada’s national crime rate, based on data reported by police, declined for the third consecutive year in 2007, continuing the downward trend in police-reported crime since the rate peaked in 1991.

The 7 percent drop in the national crime rate was driven mainly by decreases in counterfeiting and high-volume property offences such as theft ($5,000 and under), break-ins and motor vehicle thefts.

Following two years of increases in most serious violent offences, police reported fewer homicides, attempted murders, sexual assaults and robberies in 2007.

Police-reported crime rates were down in all provinces and territories, except Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

Violent crime
Police reported 594 homicides, down slightly from 606 in 2006. The homicide rate fell for the second year in a row, continuing a long-term decline that began in the mid-1970s.

In 2007, there were almost 30,000 robberies. While the robbery rate declined 5 percent from 2006, it has remained relatively stable since 2000. Robbery committed with a firearm declined 12 percent from the previous year to its lowest point in more than 30 years.

The two most serious forms of assault, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, remained virtually unchanged in 2007. Prior to 2007, the offence of assault with a weapon had increased in each of the previous seven years, reaching an all-time high in 2006.

Property crime
Police reported just over 230,000 break-ins, of which about 6 in 10 were residential. The rate of residential break-ins fell 9 percent in 2007 and break-ins to businesses dropped 8 percent.

The rate of break-ins has been steadily declining since peaking in 1991, reaching its lowest level in over 40 years. According to Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey, Canadians increased their use of home security devices, such as burglar alarms and motion detectors, between 1999 and 2004.

On average, there were about 400 motor vehicle thefts per day in 2007, totalling over 145,000 incidents. The rate of motor vehicle theft has been declining since its peak in 1996, including a 9 percent drop in 2007.

Research suggests that factors such as anti-theft devices built into newer model vehicles, as well as specialised police enforcement teams have contributed to the decrease.

Youth crime
About 176,000 youth aged 12 to 17 were accused of a criminal offence last year. This includes youths who were either formally charged by police or dealt with by other means such as a warning, caution, or referral to a diversionary program.

The youth crime rate, which has remained relatively stable over the past decade, declined 1.5 percent in 2007 following a 3.3 percent increase in 2006. The 2007 drop was due to a decrease in non-violent crimes.

The youth violent crime rate remained stable in 2007 after increasing steadily over the past two decades. The 2007 rate was more than double the rate reported in the mid-1980s.

The provinces
Among the provinces, the highest crime rates were in Western Canada, continuing a pattern observed over the past 30 years.

Despite a 3.5 percent decline, Saskatchewan continued to report the highest overall crime rate, as well as the highest rate of violent crime. British Columbia had the highest property crime rate, primarily the result of a large number of thefts $5,000 and under.

For the fourth year in a row, the lowest provincial rates occurred in Ontario and Quebec.

Police reported declines in homicide in every province except Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick. The homicide rates in British Columbia and Quebec were at their lowest in over 40 years.

Manitoba reported 62 homicides, 23 more than in 2006, giving it the highest rate among the provinces and its highest homicide rate since recording began in 1961. Most of the increase occurred in small urban and rural areas. The province also reported a large increase in attempted murder, up 53 percent.

Metropolitan areas
Crime rates fell in most metropolitan areas last year, including the nine largest. The biggest declines occurred in Kitchener, Montréal and Winnipeg.

The highest overall crime rates occurred in the western metropolitan centres of Regina, Saskatoon, Abbotsford, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver. Toronto reported the second lowest overall crime rate among all 27 metropolitan areas.

Violent crime rates also tended to be highest in Western Canada. The metropolitan areas of Saint John, Thunder Bay and Halifax were exceptions to the general pattern, with each reporting violent crime rates similar to or higher than those in the West.

One in five homicides in Canada occurred in Toronto in 2007. However, taking population differences into account, homicide rates were highest in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary.

For the first time since recording began in 1981, Québec reported no homicides, the only metropolitan area to do so in 2007.

Impaired driving and drug offences
Impaired driving and drug offences were among the few police-reported crimes to increase in 2007. More so than other crimes, these offences tend to be influenced by local police enforcement practices.

The impaired driving rate rose 3 percent in 2007, mainly due to a 19 percent increase in Alberta. Despite this recent increase, impaired driving rates have generally been declining over the past 25 years in Canada.

The rate of drug offences rose 4 percent last year, driven by an increase in cannabis possession offences, which accounted for about half of all drug offences.

A new report released by the American Human Development Project introduces the American Human Development Index, a single measure of well-being for all Americans based on indicators in three key areas: health, education and income.

“The “Measure of America” reveals huge gaps among some groups in our country to access opportunity and reach their potential,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, co-author of the book. “Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living. For example … people in last-ranked Mississippi are living 30 years behind those in first-ranked Connecticut.”

Using U.S. government statistics on longevity, educational attainment and enrolment, and earnings, the report reveals where America is today and sets a benchmark against which we will be able to assess where we are tomorrow. The report identifies which parts of the country are moving forward and which are stalled or even falling behind.

The Report shows that although America is one of the richest nations in the world, it is woefully behind when it comes to providing opportunity and choices to all Americans to build a better life. The report further breaks down its findings into the USA’s 436 Congressional districts. The following are just a few of the many findings of the report:

• In Texas’ 29th Congressional District, the percentage of the adult population with less than a high school degree is at about the level of the U.S. average in the early 1970s.
• Among the nation’s 436 congressional districts, New York’s 14th District (in Manhattan) ranks first and California’s 20th District (around Fresno) ranks last; the average resident of New York’s 14th District earns more than three times as much as the average California’s 20th District resident.
• Nationally, Asian males have the highest human development index score and African American males the lowest, with a staggering 50-year gap between the two groups.
• Despite the fact that the United States spends roughly $5.2 billion every day on health care, more per capita than any other nation in the world, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of every Western European and Nordic country except for one.

  Obesity and the lack of health insurance for some 47 million Americans are the most significant factors in premature death.

Expats in Almeria, Spain are facing the demolition of their homes in the latest town planning scandal to hit Almería province. Around 19 properties, all lacking building licences and first habitation certificates, are facing the bulldozers in the El Fas district of Cantoria according to Costa Almeria News.

Although the case has been going through the courts for almost two years, the effected residents only heard of the news in late June when they were served with a summons asking if they wanted to take part in legal proceedings against the builders.

The public prosecutor says the builders sold the properties to third parties despite knowing they had been built on non-urban land and without permits. He also said that a court had ordered a halt to construction work in June 2006. Acting on behalf of the government, he asked for the houses to be demolished and for the expat homeowners to be compensated.

Expats are claiming the local mayor, Pedro Llamas García and the solicitors who initially represented them, repeatedly assured them that the properties were all legal. An expat spokesman for the Cantoria Residents’ Association said they had been “led up the garden path” by builders, solicitors and the council, and suggested the latest scandal could be the tip of the iceberg.

He said: “Around 200 other properties in Cantoria are going to be in the same position. We bought in good faith and it turns out we were lied to and defrauded by everyone,” he added bitterly: “We were viewed as sheep ready to be fleeced.”

At the centre of the case are two individuals accused of fraud, Karen Smit and Julio Piñeiro. They are named as the developers of the El Fas complex and have been charged with selling illegal properties.

Overseas migration has been the largest contributor to Western Australia ’s population growth over the last eight years, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Increased migrant quotas, and changes in immigration policy aimed at attracting skilled workers have resulted in a steady increase in permanent settlers with almost 20,000 arriving during 2006-07.

Of the 94,000 migrants who have settled in Western Australia since 2001, the majority (87%) chose to live in Perth. Recent arrivals are generally younger than the Western Australia population as a whole and have a similar proportion in the employed labour force; however this varies according to country of birth.

While the top three countries of origin (England, New Zealand and South Africa) have not changed since the 2001 Census, some sub-Saharan countries (Sudan and Zimbabwe) have climbed in the recent arrival rankings.

Western Australia s booming economy has also drawn people from other states and territories over the last five years.

These interstate arrivals are similar to Western Australia ’s existing population, but over twice as many (8.6% compared with 4.2%) found jobs in the mining industry. People from interstate were also more likely to work in professional occupations and have higher education qualifications - factors which contribute to generally higher incomes.

Quotable Value has released June’s figures for the New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has increased slightly to $392,436 (£150,937) from May’s $387,299 (£148,961). Property values have increased just 0.1% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Glenda Whitehead said:

“Property values are clearly on the decline across most of New Zealand’s major cities and main urban areas. With market activity slowing dramatically, consumer confidence knocked by increasing interest rates, fuel and food prices, we expect the trend of falling property values to continue. The traditional upsurge in activity in the spring market may reverse the mood of the winter market, however the issue of home affordability may dampen any resurgence in the market for a while to come.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending June 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.60

Employment was unchanged in June for the second consecutive month according to figures from Statistics Canada. The unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to 6.2 percent, still among the lowest in 30 years. Over the past 12 months, employment in Canada has grown by 1.7 percent or 290,000.

Employment continued to grow in professional, scientific and technical services in June (+37,000). From a year ago, employment in the industry has grown by 7.5 percent, an increase of 86,000 workers. The biggest contributors to this year-over-year increase have been computer design services and legal services.

Business, building and other support services had the largest decline in employment in June, down 18,000, bringing employment in this industry to a level similar to that of a year ago.

Construction employment decreased by 16,000 in June, the first significant monthly decline in the industry in two years. Over the last 12 months, however, employment growth in the industry has been strong, up 7.2%.

Employment in health care and social assistance also decreased in June (-17,000). Despite this decline, employment in the industry has grown 2.8 percent from 12 months ago.

Alberta
Alberta saw employment increases of 10,000 in June. These gains pushed the employment rate in the province up to 72.2 percent, a new record high. Employment growth over the past 12 months has been the fastest of the provinces at 3.1 percent, largely driven by gains in professional, scientific and technical services; trade; agriculture; and finance, insurance, real estate and leasing.

Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia also experienced a new record-high employment rate of 59.3 percent, pushed by monthly gains of 6,200. Over the past 12 months, employment in the province has grown by 2.2 percent.

Manitoba
Manitoba was the only other province to report monthly gains in June, with an increase of 4,000. Since June 2007, employment growth in the province has been 1.9 percent.

Ontario
In June, employment declined by 24,000 in Ontario, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.3 percentage points to 6.7 percent. The overall decline in employment was the result of a drop in full-time work (-46,000), which was tempered by gains in part time (+22,000). Since June 2007, part-time work in the province has been on the rise, growing by 10.3 percent. Overall, annual employment growth in Ontario has kept pace with the national average.

Newfoundland and Labrador
Employment declined in Newfoundland and Labrador in June. Over the last 12 months, however, employment grew by 1.8 percent, with strong gains in construction; public administration; as well as transportation and warehousing.

Quebec
In June, the unemployment rate in Quebec decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 7.2 percent, due to a decline in labour force participation. Over the past 12 months, employment in the province has grown by 0.5 percent, well below the national average. Declines in trade and education offset growth in professional, scientific and technical services and construction as well as some other service industries.

The number of places available to migrants under the New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP) is reviewed by Cabinet each year. During the 2008/09 financial year the NZRP will be set at 45,000-50,000 places – the same level as last year.

Some 60% of the places available within the NZRP will be filled by skilled and business migrants, 30% will be used to reunite families applying through family categories and 10% will be used for humanitarian purposes and international commitments.

The number of places decided by the Government balances the needs of the labour market, New Zealand’s ability to accept new migrants, and our international obligations.

The NZRP makes an important contribution to the skills New Zealand has in its workforce, leading to the growth of the economy. The programme is set in a way that is complementary to New Zealand’s temporary immigration policies and wider training and productivity initiatives.

Britons living in the Spanish region of Valencia have forced the local government to drop plans to strip thousands of expatriates of the right to public healthcare. Millions of British retirees have moved to the Spanish coast in recent years, many lured by property developers’ promises of a sunny retirement home overlooking the Mediterranean in resorts like Alicante and Benidorm. However recent arrivals have placed such a strain on Valencia’s health system that the regional government said earlier this year it would scrap cover for foreigners, even if they hold resident status in Spain.

After protests to the British Embassy in Madrid, consular staff and the region have thrashed out a deal whereby an estimated 3,000 early retirees will continue to receive healthcare for a ‘reasonable and affordable’ price. Pensioners are covered by the European Union’s reciprocal health system, which means the UK picks up the bill for treatment, but the arrangement does not cover early retirees. The deal will come into effect in January.

A new survey of immigrants living in Canada’s three largest cities shows that they possess a powerful sense of belonging to their adopted country — an attachment that generally runs deeper than linguistic, ethnic or regional identity, reported the Vancouver Sun.

The poll was commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies and generated responses from immigrants in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Respondents were asked whether they had a strong or weak sense of belonging to Canada, their province, city, country of origin, ethnic identity and language.

Canada ranked highest, with 87 per cent of those surveyed expressing a “very strong” or “somewhat strong” attachment to the country. Eighty-one per cent of respondents conveyed a strong sense of belonging to their city, the same percentage of immigrants who said their language provided a strong attachment.

Province (78 per cent), country of origin (66 per cent) and ethnic or cultural group (65 per cent) were also strong sources of respondents’ sense of belonging.

In Toronto, “Canada” topped the list of attachments with 91 per cent of those surveyed expressing a strong sense of belonging to the country.

Eighty per cent of immigrant Montrealers said they felt strong attachments to Canada; both “city” and “language” ranked slightly higher at 81 per cent.

In Vancouver, which has a relatively high proportion of Chinese immigrants, language topped the list with 85 per cent expressing a strong linguistic identity. But a strong sense of belonging to Canada was also conveyed by 84 per cent of Vancouver’s immigrants.

Each month, The Canadian Real Estate Association compiles the statistics of existing homes and properties sold. The average price of a house sold in May in Canada was $318,761 an increase of 1.8 percent over the year. The residential average price is forecast to rise 5.3 percent in 2008 and a further 4.2 percent next year, pushing prices to new heights. Price gains are predicted to become smaller as the resale housing market becomes more balanced. The market is forecast to remain tightest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and as a result price increases there are expected to be biggest.

House Prices In Canada
May 2008

assumed exchange rate $1.00 = £0.492

Canada is putting skilled workers on a fast track for immigration visas to encourage more applications. Alberta’s employment minister Hector Goudreau has been sent to the UK to ‘target’ those tempted by a new life in Canada.

Canadian immigration are hoping to recruit GPs, teachers, nurses, electricians, carpenters, engineers, construction workers, management consultants, and cardiac and diabetic specialists, although anyone of any age can apply.

Mr Goudreau, who has been in Britain for a week, said, “Somebody from London might be able to sell their small flat and come to Alberta where they can buy a detached house with a huge back yard and huge front yard for the same amount. The cost of living is considerably less than in the UK. Our salaries are comparable or even higher, so anyone who moves over would be able to make money and set some aside.”

Mr Goudreau added that the economy in Alberta - which is founded on oil reserves - was constantly growing, and has remained steady despite the global credit crunch.

He continued. “We are looking at attracting 50,000 foreign workers within the next year alone. There is beautiful scenery, the health care system is second to none in the world and our educational system is second to none in the world. We have some of the lowest business taxes, there is no province sales tax on goods.”

Alberta covers a large chunk of prairie and Rocky Mountains and its major cities are Edmonton and Calgary. Its population is 3.4 million and it covers an area over two and a half times the size of the UK.

The capital city of Alberta is Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province. Edmonton is the main supply and service centre for Canada’s oil sands and other northern resource industries. Calgary, the capital, is Alberta’s largest city and is one of Canada’s major commerce centres. These two cities both have populations over 1 million people.

Sydney renters face an even bleaker future with vacancy rates falling yet again according to the latest figures released by the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW).

Vacancies have plunged below 1.0 percent for the fourth time in less than 7 months and now stand at 0.9 percent, down 0.1 compared to the previous month’s results. But while rental prospects in Sydney are looking grim, the situation in regional centres has improved with vacancy rates in Newcastle and Wollongong on the rise.

In Newcastle vacancies rose by 1.6 percent to 3.1 percent for May while in Wollongong the rental vacancy rate rose by 0.5 to 2.0 percent.

“If the State Government needed any further evidence of the accommodation crisis, then it has it now”, said REINSW President Steve Martin.

The latest figures come in the wake of a State Budget which has yet again failed to address the key causes of the rental property shortage in Australia’s global city.

“The NSW Government seems blind to the mounting evidence that rental properties in Sydney will be virtually extinct if nothing is done to encourage new investment.

“The Premier and Treasurer again have again failed to deal with the single most important factor preventing investors from buying and building rental properties.

“The punitive tax regime in New South Wales must be relaxed if we are to see the kind of recovery in the rental sector required to meet the growing needs of Australia’s largest city”, said Mr Martin.

Hundreds of Britons have joined forces to bring a class action against the Spanish Government in a bid to reclaim an estimated £86m in overpaid capital gains tax (CGT). This is Money reported back in April that Britons who sold a Spanish property between June 2004 and December 2006 could be owed cash as a result of a Spanish Government’s capital gains tax ’scam’.

However, where as initial conservative estimates put the total amount to be reclaimed at £11,000 per person – over the past three months hundreds of Britons have registered average reclaims of more than £19,300 each – totalling more than an estimated £86m.

The tax error came about after British non residents paid a Spanish Non Residents’ Income Tax rate of 35% on any capital gains, compared to a rate of 15% paid by Spanish nationals.

The 20% overpayment not only totals a profit somewhere in the region of an estimated £86m, but also contravenes European Community Treaty rules on discrimination and therefore was unfairly charged by the Spanish Government.

British people applying for a refund will also receive missing interest at a compound rate of 6% to their reclaims, meaning payouts could be on average 26% larger than first thought. But while hundreds have already joined forces in a bid to reclaim their tax, thousands more are still to come forward.

But those who sold property previous to June 2004 have already missed out on being able to make a reclaim on their overpaid tax, as under Spanish law, claims can only be made dating back over a four year period.