Second slack quarter for finance and insurance
The finance and insurance sector detracted from gross domestic product in the June 2011 quarter, national accounts published yesterday show. This is the second successive quarter to see the finance sector record a decline in value-added.The national accounts shows that valued added generated by the finance sector fell by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter. Value added by the sector fell 0.3 per cent in the March quarter. Both measures are seasonally adjusted.Value added in the finance sector has declined in three of the last four quarters, and has also declined in seven of the last 14 quarters.The household savings ratio fell back during the June quarter, to 10.5 per cent from 11.7 per cent in the March quarter, though the ratio increased on a trend basis, to 10.9 per cent from 10.7 per cent.