The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Australians about their views on wages and cost of living.

The majority of Australians report that their wages have not kept up with the cost of living over the past 12 months.

• For two in three Australians (68%) their wages have either not grown at all or grown slower than the cost of living.
  • This is higher among women, with 42% saying their real wages have not grown at all and 34% saying their wages have grown slower than the cost of living.
• Two in three Australians (67%) think changing laws to make it easier for workers to bargain collectively would be an effective way to get wages increasing faster.
  • Fewer than one in two Australians (46%) think that working harder personally at one’s job would be an effective way to get real wages to increase faster.