HELLO
I'M JASON.

At the start of 2021, there was an expectation that the world would to return to normal. Vaccines were rolling out, the world seemed a little more peaceful, (all things considered) and in comparison to the previous decade. There was plenty of chatter in Sydney and Shenzhen alike that it would be a matter of a few short months before we would all return to the workplace and life before Covid. But 2021 was much more turbulent than expected, with the rise of new, fast spreading Covid variants, a growing brain drain, ludicrously high property prices, and some of the highest global inflation levels in a generation.

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The level of turbulence will continue to increase in 2022. New variants continue to emerge and may cause workplaces to temporarily go remote again or even tip the balance for staff working permanently from home. While most companies supported a remote work structure during the peak Covid months, consistent remote working has also begun to create more unevenness around where, when, and how much different employees are working. Expect wage cuts and salaries to fall below inflation. These realities will be added to an on going technological transformation and greater efficiency. 

What has not been expected at all is The Russian Federation’s Special Military Operation in The Ukraine. European economies, and beyond,  have been dealt an unexpected blow and hopes for a softening of Chinese US/European relationships have been set back somewhat by China’s support for Russia’s geo-political position in relation to NATO and The West.

Having said that, and regardless of imminent interest rate hikes, there is growth to be seen particularly in the technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods sectors. Recovery coming out of the Covid period, countries and economies beginning to open up again and people starting to travel again are key to our economies getting back on track. The challenges of the last few years seem to have better equipped businesses and marketeers to face the unexpected, and this is indeed proving to a year of just that - the unexpected!