Unemployment in Australia has reached an eight-month high of 5.1%, a sharp and steady increase in one of the few countries that was relatively unaffected by the global recession of recent years. The declining labor force is symptomatic of a slowing economy due to consumer belt-tightening, high interest rates, and the damage from the record floods this year. This confluence of events is dragging the Australian economy down-under with the rest of the Asian-Pacific region. -- Luis Mora, Editorial Committee
