December saw an uptick in Covid infections worldwide. Daily case numbers in the US topped one million for the first time, underlining the ongoing challenge of the pandemic.
Australia is in the midst of its biggest decline in immigration for more than 100 years.
That suggests housing construction activity could slow and that that the labour force could shrink in the years ahead.
Manufacturing PMI in November increased to roughly 50, hovering near the breakpoint between expansion and contraction.
Rising living costs have made it tricky for many Australians to make ends meet.
The presidential election in the US on 5 November could dominate headlines during October, before the next meeting of the Federal Reserve later that same week. Investors are already debating whether a further reduction in borrowing costs in the US could be announced following this meeting.