Key Points: Unemployment falls 0.1% to 3.9% 4,000 jobs created in last quarter, but unemployment fell by 11,000 7,000 people gave up looking for work this quarter, shown by the participation rate falling to 66.3% (from 66.4%) “Today’s ABS statistics reveal that more people gave up looking for work than found a job in the

“The latest wages data show that real wages in the past 12 months fell 2.5%. This horror result for workers shows that not only are wages not putting pressure on inflation but that workers are not seeing the benefits of lower unemployment,” said Greg Jericho, employment & fiscal policy director at the Australia Institute’s Centre

Research released today reveals that companies like Woolworths and the Commonwealth Bank are under no pressure to pass on a 5% increase in the minimum wage as a 5% increase in their prices. The research finds that boosting workers’ wages by 5%  would lead to an increase in prices across the economy of less than

Almost one in five Australians (and a higher proportion of young workers) acknowledge working with potential COVID symptoms over the course of the pandemic, according to new opinion research released today by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. The research confirms the public health dangers of Australia’s patchwork system of sick leave and related

A comprehensive review of Australian wage trends indicates that wage growth is likely to remain stuck at historically weak levels despite the dramatic disruptions experienced by the Australian labour market through the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds that targeted policies to deliberately lift wages are needed to break free of the low-wage trajectory that has

Surging inflation is driving record increases in government tax revenue while simultaneously pushing down workers’ real wages, according to new Australia Institute analysis of Treasury forecasts released today. As the figure below shows, Treasury forecasts of Commonwealth spending are well above the spending forecasts made pre-covid and, more significantly, well above the levels forecast in

A new report has found pandemic workforce shortages should be tackled through investment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to boost employment, unlock productivity and support life-long development outcomes for children.

The key driver of Australia’s acute housing affordability crisis is its over-reliance on just two housing options – private home ownership and private renting. New research from the Australia Institute’s Nordic Policy Centre shows that Nordic countries have a wider repertoire of policies, and Australia can learn from policies that are already in practice in

The next federal government can save universities, make undergraduate education free for all Australians and employ tens of thousands of staff securely by lifting the public spend on higher education to just one per cent of GDP, according to a landmark new report. The Australia Institute’s Centre For Future Work report shows, if the federal

New research has found that the Federal Government’s announcement that it will spend $7.4b on dams does not deliver value for money and provides less employment and GDP growth than if the same amount were invested in other parts of the economy. The research reveals that if the $5.4b announced for the Hells Gate Dam

Australia should follow the European example and introduce a Youth Job Guarantee, according to a new report from the Australia Institute which reveals the true extent of youth employment devastation during the pandemic. Despite representing just 14 per cent of workers, the new report, ‘Youth unemployment and the pandemic’, shows young people (aged 15-24) bore 39

Making Early Child Education and Care (ECEC) universal in Australia would pay for itself by unlocking women’s labour supply, boosting GDP and growing government revenues by billions, according to new research from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. With cost of living shaping up as a key election issue, policy experts say boosted funding would

Statement in response to Federal Government announcement it seeks to delay coal fired power plant closures by introducing new rules that five years’ notice must be provided before closing power stations. “What we are seeing is another knee-jerk reaction from Minister Taylor because Australia’s Energy Minister was left out of key negotiations on Australia’s largest

Post-Budget surveys in the South Australian federal electorates of Boothby and Sturt have shown both seats could be in play at the upcoming election, with a mixed reaction to the Budget and a strong desire for protecting the Great Australian Bight recorded by voters. Key results, Boothby: 2PP: Labor Party 57%, Liberal Party 43%. Four

“Australia has missed a great opportunity to improve its parental leave policies, invest in children’s early years, support parents and improve gender equality,” said Professor Andrew Scott at Deakin University and Convenor of The Australia Institute’s Nordic Policy Centre. “The Budget decision to abolish the designation of two weeks parental leave for fathers from Australia’s

The Federal Government Budget 2022 has cut the fuel excise by 22 cents for a six month period. “The fuel excise cut is bad economic management, bad economic policy, and bad policy full stop,” said Richie Merzian, climate & energy director at the Australia Institute. “For the last nine years this government has kept Australians

On the eve of the Budget and a Federal Election, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) has renewed its advocacy for a company tax cut for big business. New Australia Institute analysis finds that the BCA’s proposed tax cut would cost the Budget up to $75 billion dollars over the next decade. The BCA offers nothing

Cutting the excise on beer from kegs is an ineffective and inequitable way to support the hospitality sector, reduce cost of living pressures, and reduce excessive drinking according to a new report released by The Australia Institute. “The overwhelming majority of beer drinkers in Australia are men, and the overwhelming majority of hospitality venues don’t

Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) system shows growing signs of erosion, fragmentation and dysfunction, according to new research from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. The research reveals a grim picture of a VET system starved of consistent funding or focus, fragmenting into scattered offerings of non-accredited and ‘micro-credential’ courses, mostly provided by

New economic research reveals that the Stage 3 tax cuts proposed by the Federal Government will give Bank CEOs, surgeons, and federal politicians a windfall tax cut of $9075, while low-income workers like aged care workers, disability careers and minimum wage employees get $0.

The Australia Institute welcomes today’s disallowance of floodplain harvesting regulations in the NSW Parliament. “This regulation would have given the green light to huge diversion of floodwater with terrible ecological, social and economic consequences,” said Rod Campbell, research director at the Australia Institute. “Diverting water beyond the limits in the Basin Plan has contributed to

New research from The Australia Institute shows the Labor Party holding a narrow 2PP lead, 51%-49%, one month out from the 2022 state election. The Australia Institute’s survey of a representative sample of 602 South Australians also found there is strong sentiment in the community that the state was not adequately prepared when borders were

New research from the Australia Institute reveals that the largest part of the Federal Government’s tax plan will overwhelmingly benefit older, high-income men – despite the Government’s attempt to highlight how much young women have to gain. The Stage 3 tax cuts due to come into effect 2024-2025 will see men get twice as much

An electorate analysis of the Federal Government’s current plan to scrap the LMITO (Low and Middle Income Tax Offset) after 2021-22, shows most taxpayers will be worse off when the legislated Stage 3 tax cuts to high income earners comes into effect in 2024-25. Key Findings: Scrapping the LMITO will see 90% of taxpayers pay

A unique combination of advantages has handed Australia a historic chance to become a sustainable global manufacturer of electric vehicles – provided the federal government acts swiftly and decisively, according to new research by the Australia Institute’s Carmichael Centre.

New research released by The Australia Institute shows that new investment in the resource sector is overwhelmingly focused on electrification minerals rather than fossil fuels. Key Findings: In the last year, 42 companies targeting electrification minerals listed on the ASX compared to just one fossil fuel company. The newly listed resource companies look to produce

New research from The Australia Institute shows that virtually no tax or royalty is paid on two thirds of the gas exported from Western Australia. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) worth $27 billion was exported from WA last year, while only $430m went to the State Government, just 1% of state budget revenue. Twice as much

New research on international collective bargaining systems, released today in a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Labour and Industry, finds that Australia’s industrial relations system is rapidly losing its ability to support wages in the face of numerous challenges (now including the Omicron outbreak).

The Victorian State Government’s policy to cap the rates of local government has cost the Victorian economy 7,425 direct and indirect jobs in 2021-22, and has reduced GDP by up to $890 million in 2021-22, according to new research from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. Key Findings The Victorian Government’s rate caps have

An unprecedented alliance of irrigation representatives and environment peak bodies have called on the NSW Premier, Treasurer and Environment Minister to oversee changes to Murray Darling water rules. The groups include representatives of a majority of NSW irrigators and the environmental peak bodies of all Basin states. The practice of diverting floodwater, known as floodplain