As part of a broader research initiative investigating the human costs of the crisis and the impact of austerity on Australian workers, the Australia Institute’s Carmichael Centre/Centre for Future Work surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1014 adults living in Australia about their household income and the costs of living. [...] The respondents to this survey supported a suite of policy initiatives designed to both reduce the cost of living, and to increase wages and income supports. [...] Doing it Tough 12 Costs The issue of grocery prices and the marketing practices of large supermarket chains has been the subject of media reports, public inquiries (Fels 2024), and now legal action by the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC 2024). [...] Grocery prices and the costs of utilities were the most visible sources of the higher cost of living. [...] The survey results demonstrate that respondents are aware of the many dimensions of the costs of living crisis and that they expect action across all those dimensions.
Authors
- Pages
- 41
- Published in
- Australia
Table of Contents
- How Australians are experiencing the cost of living crisis 1
- Dr Lisa Heap The Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute October 2024 1
- About the Australia Institute 2
- Our Philosophy 2
- Our Purpose Research That Matters 2
- About the Centre for Future Work 2
- About the Author 2
- Introduction 4
- Income 6
- Stagnant household income 6
- Figure 1. Growth of incomes versus growth of prices. 6
- Figure 2. Incomes versus prices by household income level. 7
- Figure 3. Incomes versus prices by source of income. 8
- Going backwards 8
- Figure 4. Compared to two years ago is your households financial situation 9
- Differential impact 9
- Figure 5. Compared to two years ago are your households finances 10
- Figure 6. Compared to two years ago is your households financial situation 11
- Strategies to cope 11
- Figure 7. In the past 12 months have you supplemented your income by 12
- Costs 13
- Cost increases 13
- Figure 8. Where have you most noticed price increases 14
- Cutting Costs 14
- Figure 9. Have you spent less on any of the following over the past year 15
- Attributing blame 15
- Figure 10. How much blame do these groups deserve for cost of living pressures 16
- Action 17
- Multidimensional strategy 17
- Figure 11. How important are the following to reduce cost of living pressures 17
- Conclusion 18
- References 19
- Appendix A Method 21
- Method 21
- Short disclosure statement 21
- Long disclosure statement 21
- Appendix B Detailed Results 22
- What is your main source of personal income 22
