Wages have returned to pre-pandemic levels, but COVID-19 scarring is still being felt across the nation's labour market.
While the rise in wages to 2.2 per cent over the year to September shows a rebound from wage freezes incurred during the height of lockdowns, questions remain how politics will spin the figures ahead of the election.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says new analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data based on previous post-lockdown jobs growth showed 280,000 jobs could be filled in the lead-up to the summer holiday season.
The latest National Skills Commission data also shows job advertisements on the internet have soared to a 13-year high with 250,900 positions up for grabs.
William Tyrrell search continues
The search for William Tyrrell has entered its fourth day.
Yesterday, for a brief moment today, Strike Force Rosann investigators held their breath - probably the first of many times as the search continues - at the discovery of an item at one of the key locations they have zeroed in on since Monday.
The discovery was compared to a replica Spiderman suit held in the team's suite of search tools. It proved to be unrelated to the investigation.
Victoria's pandemic bill vote is in doubt
Disgraced former Victorian Labor MP Adem Somyurek's parliament suspension has been lifted after proving his COVID-19 vaccination status, paving the way for him to potentially vote down the government's pandemic bill.
Debate on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill is set to resume on Thursday but a final vote may come as late as Friday, with MPs advised parliament could sit an extra day.
Meanwhile, Victoria's could get more COVID-19 freedoms sooner than expected, with an announcement expected today.
Labor offers 30,000 free internet plans
Families without access to a home internet connection will be eligible for one year of free broadband under a new plan revealed by Labor.
Schools, state education departments and local community organisations will identify and nominate up to 30,000 eligible families for the plan, to be run through NBN Co.
Total fire bans for Victoria, SA regions
Victoria's fire authority has declared its first total fire ban of the season to the state's northwest, with the same order active across the border in seven South Australian regions.
The Mallee is forecast to experience temperatures in the mid 30s, strong and gusty winds and a thunderstorms risk on Thursday.
The mercury also tipped to soar in SA with total fire bans current in Northwest Pastoral, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Yorke Peninsula, Riverland, Murraylands districts.
SA shuts Coffin Bay oyster production
Oyster production in South Australia's famous Coffin Bay has been temporarily halted while the state government investigates a potential disease outbreak.
Coffin Bay, on the southern tip of Eyre Peninsula, is famous nationally for its oysters, which grace the tables of some of Australia's top restaurants.
The closure is likely to be in place until early next week.
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Tszyu trumps Inoue to remain undefeated
Tim Tszyu has underlined his world-title credentials once more with a unanimous points victory over Takeshi Inoue in the pair's high-stakes super-welterweight showdown in Sydney.
Apple to sell spare parts to fix iPhones
Apple Inc says it will start selling spare parts and tools to the general public to perform their own repairs on some iPhones and Mac computers.
The self-service repair program comes after years of pressure from consumer groups.
- with Australian Associated Press
Kim Chappell
Digital journalist for ACM's regional titles. Before this role, I was the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division and prior to that chief of staff at The Land, where I started as a journalist in 2006.
Digital journalist for ACM's regional titles. Before this role, I was the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division and prior to that chief of staff at The Land, where I started as a journalist in 2006.
