Good morning. From 20 November, Airbnb hosts can only ask guests for simple check-out chores, such as putting dishes in the sink instead of washing them or gathering towels instead of doing the laundry.
Hosts have called for a booking blackout on the day the rules start, closing their listings to new bookings, and a petition asking Airbnb to reconsider has passed 27,000 signatures.
Guests had complained about paying a cleaning fee and then doing the cleaning anyway - hosts may now cover the extra work by raising that fee.
All the headlines and more below...
JOB VACANCIES DOWN AT 16% OF MEDIA AND IT BUSINESSES AS AI RESHAPES HIRING
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has started tracking how AI affects job openings, with media, IT and telecommunications firms pulling back hardest. Wholesale trade is second, with vacancies down at 8% of firms, likely driven by warehouse automation and dispatch optimisation.
The ABS survey measures the share of organisations reporting more or fewer vacancies, not the absolute number of jobs withdrawn. Public administration and safety saw that AI can replace information-processing roles, but it is also driving urgent policy work and new hiring in cyber defence. Electricity, gas, water and waste services is the one sector where vacancies are growing across most employers, driven by data centre construction demand for electricians, air-con installers and transmission specialists.
Overall job vacancies fell 0.9% in the 3 months to August and 1.2% over the year. At a national level, the Reserve Bank's recent rate rises are still doing more to slow hiring than AI is.
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Australians had 5.3% of their household financial wealth in AI company shares by June 2026, mostly through super and up from 2% at the end of 2022, as RBA staff projected another $115B of data centre investment by the end of 2028. LINK
ASIC reported that unqualified telemarketers pushed Australians to switch about $678M of mainly superannuation savings into riskier schemes as part of a review of 15 licensees. LINK
Some insurers have increased home insurance premiums as lithium-ion battery fire claims became more costly, with Suncorp reporting such claims almost doubled between 2023 and 2026. AUS
Google told a Senate inquiry that Australia's online safety bill could force age checks and lock under-18s out of Gmail and messaging, with fines up to $109.2M. LINK
SMALLER CONSULTANCIES GREW HEADCOUNT 45% IN 18 MONTHS AS BIG FOUR FACE GOVERNMENT BANS
Boutique consulting firms are hiring former Big Four partners and winning government contracts while KPMG, PwC and Deloitte face restrictions on public sector work. KPMG is banned from new Commonwealth contracts until February 2027 after misusing confidential client information, and several state governments imposed similar restrictions. PwC faced the same treatment following its 2023 tax confidentiality scandal, and Deloitte drew scrutiny for using AI in a government report that contained fabricated references.
FTI Consulting grew its Australian headcount from 380 to 550 in the past 18 months, with around 75% of hires coming from Big Four backgrounds. The firm built a 75-person healthcare practice and a mining advisory division staffed by 6 former Big Four partners now targeting BHP, Rio Tinto and South32. FTI's Australian practice leader Mark Dewar said partners often bring their teams and clients with them.
Boutique consultancy Foresight, which employs around 25 people, appointed former KPMG partner Meg Brodie as a director and is joining government procurement panels to compete for larger tenders. Government contracts currently account for about 10% of Foresight's revenue, but the firm expects that to reach 35% within a few years.
COMPANY NEWS
David Jones receivers reported record in-store and online foot traffic and sales since the department store entered voluntary administration and receivership, prompting stock replenishment and a review of promotions. LINK
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises rolled out a network-wide financial assistance program paying franchisees $15,600 per store from a $66.7M advertising fund as sliding sales and high fees strained outlets. AFR
Meta expanded its AI-powered age-estimation system globally to automatically place suspected teen users on Instagram into stricter protections, after billion-dollar legal settlements over alleged harms to children. LINK
Torrens University admitted underpaying more than 1,000 casual academics and set aside $20M for back pay as sector-wide repayments for university staff wage underpayments reached $341M. LINK
Nvidia has initiated an independent investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with a woman whom US officials suspect of spying for China. LINK
ANZ reported a 31% jump in annual cash profit to $7.6B for the year to September as operating expenses fell 14% and operating income rose 3%. LINK
HungryPanda denied having a policy automatically making riders pay for stolen food orders as workers, unions and a petition alleged unlawful deductions and heightened safety risks following the fatal stabbing of a delivery driver. LINK
NextDC paused all uncontracted projects after power delays and community backlash halted its Melbourne M3 expansion and cut earnings forecasts, while rivals Goodman Group and Digital Realty bought a $715M, 9.9% stake in the company. LINK
Employment Hero reported a 37% rise in annual revenue to $332.6M and narrowed after-tax losses to $20M as new AI recruitment products and an AI “semantic layer” boosted efficiency. AFR
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ONE MORE SCROLL
Odd Pick: Two European jumpers broke the world record for highest human catapult through a 360-metre chimney.
Editor’s Pick: Experienced women are quietly leaving jobs because their menopause symptoms go unaddressed at work.
Draft Pick: Marnus Labuschagne dropped from Australia Test squad after 3 years without a century.
Doctor’s Pick: Energy drinks, stimulant supplements linked to higher heart risks in young adults.
TRIVIA
What is the main mineral found in bananas that helps muscle recovery?
Answer below
ANSWER
Potassium
