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 in Brisbane.
She has previously worked in commercial radio and media research, and studied economics and media at the Queensland University of Technology.
You can contact Kate via email at Ainsworth.Kate@abc.net.au or securely at kateainsworth@protonmail.com.
Latest by Kate Ainsworth
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live:ACCC warns east coast could face gas shortfalls by 2027, ASX lower
The Australian share market is trading lower on Friday, while a report by the ACCC has warned that the eastern states could face a gas shortfall by 2027 — a year earlier than it had previously predicted. Follow live.
We asked MCoBeauty to explain how they dupe cosmetics. They gave us a step-by-step guide
Australian cosmetics giant MCoBeauty has attracted global attention for its strikingly similar beauty dupes, but the company has kept the details of its product development process out of the spotlight — until now.
'Is this really ethical?' Iris sees her product being copied weekly, but she can't afford to do anything about it
Small beauty entrepreneurs say they are struggling to stop copies of their cosmetics being released because they don't have the legal budgets to fight big companies that are self-confessed dupers.
In the makeup world, there's a fine line between duping and being sued. MCoBeauty found out the hard way
Australian cosmetics company MCoBeauty has become a multi-million-dollar business by "duping" popular beauty products. But its success hasn't been without controversy, after pushing the boundaries of the law too far in the past.
ASX drops as inflation climbs to 4 per cent in May, exceeding economists' expectations — as it happened
Inflation rose to 4 per cent in the 12 months to May, according to the latest data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Economists had broadly expected inflation to rise slightly to 3.8 per cent. Catch up on the day's news in the business blog.
KFC's local operator sees net profit surge by more than 500 per cent, Australian shares rise by 1.4pc — as it happened
Australia's share market closed 1.36 per cent higher on Tuesday after Collins Foods, the local operator of KFC and Taco Bell in Australia, reported a 500 per cent net profit increase during last financial year. Catch up on the day's news in the business blog.
Analysis
analysis:If supermarket reports alone provided cost-of-living relief, groceries would already be cheaper at the check-out
The results of comparing identical groceries at different supermarkets were hardly surprising to anyone who has set foot in one in the past 18 months. How many more same-same-but-different reports will tell us what we already know?
As it happened: Foreign buyers purchase $5b worth of residential property, ASX closes higher
The Australian share market closed higher on Friday, despite losses on Wall Street that saw chipmaker Nvidia lose its title as the world's most valuable company to Microsoft. And more foreign buyers are buying up Australian residential property according to new ATO data. Follow live.
Aldi stores 25pc cheaper than Coles, Woolworths, Choice report finds
Basic grocery items are 25 per cent cheaper at Aldi when compared with Coles and Woolworths, a new report from Choice has found.
RBA considered rate hike at June meeting but decided on 'staying the course' to curb inflation — as it happened
The Reserve Bank has kept interest rates on hold at a 12-year high of 4.35 per cent after its June meeting, while the Australian share market has ended 1 per cent higher at the end of trade.
ACCC warns Chemist Warehouse's $8.8 billion merger could lead to higher prices and less competition
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says a proposed merger between pharmacy retail giant Chemist Warehouse and Sigma Healthcare raises "competition concerns" in the country's pharmacy sector.
Senate report into PwC scandal released, ASX lower in afternoon trade — as it happened
A Senate committee is calling on PwC to disclose the "names and positions" of those involved in the embattled consultancy firm's controversial tax leaks scandal. As it happened.
RBA deputy governor says Australia not ready to follow Canada and ECB into rate cuts, ASX gains — as it happened
The Reserve Bank's deputy governor Andrew Hauser says Australia remains on its "narrow path" which "has worked" to get inflation down without the same scale of job losses as some other countries, such as Canada. The ASX gained across all sectors.
RBA governor says $300 energy bill relief is unlikely to impact inflation
The Reserve Bank of Australia's governor says the federal government's proposed $300 energy bill relief will not have a "material" impact on reducing inflation, but is also unlikely to make inflation worse.
Australia 'teetering on the brink of recession' as economy barely grows
Australia's economy grew by just 0.1 per cent in the March quarter and 1.1 per cent for the year.
Australia's GDP figures show minimal growth as RBA governor discusses 'one economic lever' with Senate — as it happened
GDP data shows the economy only grew by 0.1 per cent in the first quarter, meanwhile Medibank is at risk of record fines after legal action was lodged over its 2022 cyber breach.
How Guzman y Gomez turned burritos into a $2.2 billion business
After opening its first restaurant in 2006, Guzman y Gomez is now weeks away from becoming a publicly listed company. Here's what it means for the Mexican-inspired fast-food franchise that wants to become as big as McDonald's.
Danielle is one of 2.6 million workers who will receive a pay rise next month
The Fair Work Commission has announced Australia's minimum wage and award wages will increase by 3.75 per cent, taking the national minimum wage to $24.10 per hour or $915.91 per week from July 1.
'Mismatch between supply and demand' sends house prices soaring
CoreLogic data shows property prices grew by 0.8 per cent during May, making it the largest monthly increase since October last year.
As it happened: Guzman y Gomez announces IPO and ASX listing, share market closes higher
The local share market closed higher on Friday after recording losses earlier in the week, while fast-food chain Guzman y Gomez has announced plans to list on the ASX next month. Follow live.
If you've noticed almost every retail store is having a sale right now, it's because they are. Here's why
Whether you shop in-store or online, retailers are ramping up sales to entice us to part with our cash. But, as spending flatlines, discounting doesn't appear to have the same effect it used to, sparking warnings of looming retail collapses.
Leading economist Ross Garnaut says life was much easier for young people when he was their age. Here's why
Australia is at risk of "giving up on equity" if governments fail to reform housing and tax policies to improve the economic prospects of younger generations, according to Ross Garnaut, one of the country's most respected economists.
Optus sued for allegedly failing to protect customers' data before cyber attack in 2022, ASX lower
The Australian Communications and Media Authority launches legal action against Optus for allegedly failing to protect its customers' data before it was hit with a cyber attack in 2022, while the local share market is trading lower.
Young people are in economic crisis, and they're frustrated the government is 'tinkering around the edges'
Young Australians are experiencing an economic crisis that shows no signs of easing — and experts fear it will cause generational inequality to worsen without substantial reform.
Treasurer reveals $9.3b surplus while offering power bill relief, boosting rent assistance — as it happened
The treasurer hands down his third budget, with a raft of measures aimed at dealing with Australia's cost-of-living crisis. Look back on Tuesday's updates.