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Kate Ainsworth
Kate Ainsworth is a business reporter with the ABC's Business Reporting Team. After joining the broadcaster in 2020, she spent two years as a reporter in Hobart before working with its national digital and mobile teams.
She has previously worked in commercial radio and media research, and studied economics and media at QUT.
Find her on Twitter @katebrechin
Latest by Kate Ainsworth
'Love us or loathe us': Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O ink 'historic' 10-year radio deal worth $200 million
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
A deal signed by the hosts of The Kyle and Jackie O Show will also see Sydney's top-rating radio breakfast program broadcast in Melbourne from 2024, and follows their employer launching a takeover bid of their former network.
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'Growing signs' businesses were passing on cost increases to consumers prompted latest RBA rate hike
By senior business correspondent Peter Ryan and business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Minutes from the RBA's November meeting show the central bank decided to lift interest rates to their highest level in 12 years because of alarming signs that some businesses were passing on higher inflation costs to consumers.
Optus boss says it's an 'appropriate time' to step down, ASX closes higher after energy rally — as it happened
By business reporters Michael Janda and Kate Ainsworth
Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigns following the telco's recent service outage, while the Australian share market finished higher after energy stocks rallied.
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Analysis
analysis:Optus may be able to send messages, but it's incapable of receiving them
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
If last year's cyber attack failed to teach Optus a few lessons in handling massive tech failures, perhaps the public scrutiny of the Senate will force the system reboot the telco so desperately seems to need, writes Kate Ainsworth.
Optus CEO tells Senate inquiry she has no plans to resign, has not had time to 'think about myself' — as it happened
By business reporters Emilia Terzon and Kate Ainsworth
Optus boss Kelly Bayer Rosmarin tells a Senate inquiry that 228 triple-0 calls were unable to be made during last week's outage, while the Australian share market falls slightly after Wall Street's recent rally comes to an end. Read how the day unfolded on our live blog.
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Unemployment rises despite thousands of new jobs, ASX closes lower as investors await full outcome of Biden-Xi meeting — as it happened
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
After a subdued start, the ASX closed lower on Thursday after Australia's unemployment rate rose to 3.7 per cent in October even though 55,000 new jobs were added. Look back on the day's developments with our blog.
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So you want to sue Optus for its outage. Here's why it might not be your best option
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Optus is no stranger to class actions after last year's cyber attack. But a week after its crippling nationwide outage left 10 million Australians in the dark and businesses unable to trade, is another one on the horizon?
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Optus says changes after a 'routine software upgrade' to blame for nationwide service outage
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Optus says "changes to routing information" after a "routine software upgrade" was behind last week's nationwide outage, affecting 10.2 million Australians and impacting 400,000 businesses.
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ANZ shares smashed as $7.1b profit disappoints, RBA warns of 'bumpy' road to curb inflation, ASX finishes lower — as it happened
By business reporters Michael Janda and Kate Ainsworth
Australian shares closed lower on Monday, led by a substantial drop in ANZ's share price as its full-year profit misses market forecasts. Look back on the day's developments with our blog.
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RBA lifts inflation forecasts, US Federal Reserve 'not confident' interest rates are high enough, shares sink — as it happened
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
The ASX closed lower after the RBA gave its latest economic update, outlining that inflation is unlikely to return to target until December 2025, while the US Federal Reserve warned interest rates may not be high enough.
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'They're not listening to us': Business owner outraged by Optus data offer after outage
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Optus will provide eligible customers, including small businesses, 200GB of free data as compensation for its nationwide outage that lasted for more than 12 hours and impacted more than 10 million Australians.
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Optus defends 'front-footed' communication with customers after 'technical network fault'
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin says "a technical network fault" is to blame for the company's nationwide outage on Wednesday, but can't provide more information on the cause before conducting a deeper analysis.
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RBA lifts interest rates to 12-year high of 4.35pc, WeWork files for bankruptcy in US, ASX closes lower — as it happened
By business reporters David Chau and Kate Ainsworth
The RBA has lifted the cash rate by 0.25 percentage points in November, taking the rate to 4.35 per cent, while the Australian share market finished lower. Look back on the day's events with our blog.
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Qantas board on notice after 83pc protest vote by shareholders over executive pay, ASX closes higher — as it happened
By business reporters Emilia Terzon and Kate Ainsworth
Qantas has received its first strike from shareholders at its AGM, days after defending itself from "ghost flight" allegations, while the ASX closed higher for the week after Wall Street rallied overnight.
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The reversal of a pandemic trend has rents soaring again. Is it the new normal or is the end in sight?
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
The number of available properties listed to rent fell to a record low in September, with worsening vacancy rates and a rising population increasing competition among renters that's resulting in higher prices.
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Rising fuel prices behind higher-than-expected jump in inflation, ASX finishes flat as markets consider possible rate hike — as it happened
By business reporters Michael Janda and Kate Ainsworth
The ASX finishes flat after the release of the September quarter inflation data, with fuel, electricity and rents behind the higher-than-expected jump, as investors weigh the possibility of a November rate hike by the RBA.
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RBA 'will not hesitate' to increase rates if inflation takes longer to return to target than forecast
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock says the central bank "will not hesitate" to increase the cash rate over fears inflation could take longer to return to target than its current "late 2025" forecast.
ASX nears one-year low on Israel-Gaza war worries — as it happened
By business reporters Michael Janda and Kate Ainsworth
The Israel-Gaza war has sent US 10-year bond rates within a whisker of 5 per cent and share markets globally lower, with the ASX nearing a one-year low. See how the day's events unfolded on the ABC News markets blog.
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November rate hike by RBA still possible despite softer jobs data, ASX down 1.4pc after interest rate fears on Wall Street — as it happened
By business reporters Daniel Ziffer and Kate Ainsworth
Softer-than-expected employment data hasn't ruled out a possible rate hike by the RBA at next month's meeting, while the ASX followed Wall Street's lead and finished 1.4 per cent lower at the close of trade on Thursday.
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PwC caught out after telling Senate it was against 'separating' its businesses while looking for a seller in private
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Consulting giant PwC is accused of misleading the Senate after revelations it planned to sell its consultancy business at the same time it pushed back against the idea in evidence to a separate inquiry in 2019.
Qantas chairman Richard Goyder to stand down in next 12 months, as the airline tries to rebuild its reputation
By business reporters Gareth Hutchens and Kate Ainsworth
Qantas chairman Richard Goyder will stand down from airline in next 12 months, as the airline tries to rebuild its reputation.
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Senate inquiry demands review of Qatar Airways decision as report finds 'clear evidence' of Qantas' 'aggressive' market power — as it happened
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
The Senate committee examining a decision by the federal government to block additional Qatar Airways flights says it needs to be reviewed immediately, while the ACCC's monitoring of domestic airlines needs to be reinstated.
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Hundreds of bank branches are 'at risk' of shutting around the country. Here's where they're located
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
Analysis of more than 3,000 bank branches nationally suggests hundreds of regional locations are at risk of being closed, in addition to more than 1,600 closed around the country in the past six years.
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ASX finishes 1.3pc lower for the week, Reserve Bank says small but growing number of households in financial stress — as it happened
By business reporters Emily Stewart and Kate Ainsworth
The ASX saw a modest rise during trade on Friday but finished the week 1.3pc lower after a tumultuous start, while the RBA says there is a small, increasing share of homeowners in financial stress.
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ASX hits 11-month low after US jobs data stokes 'higher for longer' interest rate fears — as it happened
By business reporter Kate Ainsworth
The Australian share market lost more value today, extending a run of losses after stronger-than-expected jobs data in the US stoked fears among investors that interest rates would remain higher for longer. Look back at how the day unfolded.
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