1. Economists from the University of Chicago have found, in the study ‘How Many Jobs can be Done at Home?’ June 2020, that the transition to remote work has only been possible or effective for up to 37% of jobs in the US. A recent survey of the EU found similar results, indicating that WFH has been highly suited to well-paid, white collar occupations while the pandemic will disproportionately fall on the least ‘well off.’
2. The Federal Government’s fortnightly Coronavirus supplement is being cut from $550 to $250 as of today, with other changes to JobSeeker also in train. The JobKeeper rate will drop from Monday September 28. The full-time rate will fall from $1,500 a fortnight to $1,200. The part-time rate will be $750 per fortnight for workers on less than 20 hours a week before the pandemic began. More cuts to JobKeeper will come into effect from the beginning of 2021 before it’s due to end in March.
3. An all-female “clean tech” start up from Melbourne, Elevenstore, has won the ClimateLaunchpad Southeast Asia & Oceania final, gaining a position at a prestigious business school – for their winning concept of turning biomass into cheap, lightweight batteries for scooters in the Asian market.
4. President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, is charging ahead with monetary policy reform that addresses climate change, despite COVID. Lagarde has urged changes toward environmentally friendly securities, lowering the market value of non-green bonds and providing extra support for environmentally friendly initiative & investments.
5. Cate Blanchett has sold her $12m Sydney apartment, formerly owned by Barry Humphries & Mark Bouris consecutively.
