Could the trade war benefit Aussie farmers? Fighting the job-search blues, and more top news

The news Australian professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation in the comments below.

A trade war between China and the United States is generally bad news for Australia's economy. But a new EY report suggests it could also see Australian farmers — currently dealing with a crippling drought — receive a one-off $1 billion boost which will also create 3900 new agriculture jobs. The reason? One of Australia's biggest agriculture competitors is America, and China has flagged that it will prevent its state-owned enterprises from buying US farm products as part of the tit-for-tat over President Trump's tariffs. Here’s what people are saying.

A job search can be a long and difficult process often filled with uncertainty. Unfortunately, it's also regularly coupled with other stressful life events such as family issues and financial stress. Job searches usually also involve experiencing some level of rejection. According to workplace author David Blustein, to fight back against the psychological toll of your search, it’s worth setting aside time to socialise each week to maintain your mental health. Also consider volunteering or job shadowing and practicing stress management. What are your tips to cope with a long job search? Join the conversation here.  

Millions of Australian workers are dealing with persistently stagnant wages, but working mothers are particularly reluctant to ask for a pay rise. Working mums say they are faced with the choice of either flexibility around the hours they work, or a pay rise — despite the fact they are effective employees. According to ABC Life, the idea that you need to choose between flexibility and a pay rise is a significant reason why Australia’s gender pay gap currently sits at 14%. Here’s what people are saying.  

Should Australian consumers be confronted with the number of "empty calories" in the soft drinks and packaged foods they buy? That’s the issue facing state and federal ministers who have “ordered a review” to consider implementing compulsory ‘added sugar’ labelling of labels on sugary beverages and packaged foods. The move, heavily contested by the beverage industry, would compel brands to display added sugar levels prominently on soft drinks labels. A 600ml Coke, for instance, contains 16 teaspoons of sugar. Here’s what people are saying. 

Disney has planted its flag in Australia’s streaming wars, with confirmation of the local launch of its Netflix-busting Disney+ service on November 19, The AFR reports. The service, which will cost $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year, will mine the libraries of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. Still the entertainment giant is already playing catch-up to market leader Netflix who have so far scooped up 4.9 million Australian subscribers and Nine’s Stan streaming service’s 1.7 million.  Here's what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Workers in large organizations should not misinterpret scale for stability, says Merck Group Chairman Stefan Oschmann.

“In today’s fast-paced environment, the size of an organization is losing a lot of its relevance. It’s the speed of learning that counts.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Andrew Murfett