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  • Aug, 2014

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    Social Class Identification

    Q. Do you consider yourself –

      

    Total

     

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/
    Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other

     

    Income under $600
    pw

    Income $600 – $1,000
    pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600
    pw

    Income $1,600+

     

    April 2013

    Working class

    31%

    36%

    27%

    24%

    38%

    39%

    42%

    32%

    24%

    33%

    Middle class

    49%

    46%

    58%

    51%

    39%

    29%

    36%

    54%

    64%

    53%

    Upper class

    2%

    2%

    1%

    1%

    3%

    2%

    *

    1%

    3%

    2%

    None of them

    13%

    11%

    10%

    16%

    17%

    25%

    17%

    10%

    6%

    10%

    Don’t know

    6%

    5%

    3%

    8%

    3%

    5%

    5%

    4%

    4%

    3%

    49% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 31% as “working class” – only 2% claimed to be “upper class”.

    Those on higher incomes were more likely to identify as “middle class” while those on lower incomes were less likely to identify with any of these descriptions.

    The results are not substantially different from those when this question was asked last year.

  • Apr, 2013

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    Parties and social class

    Q. Whose interests do you think the Labor Party mainly represent?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Working class

    Middle class

    Working class

    30%

    43%

    28%

    25%

    27%

    34%

    Middle class

    16%

    24%

    8%

    36%

    18%

    17%

    Upper class

    13%

    4%

    17%

    10%

    17%

    10%

    All of them

    8%

    19%

    3%

    12%

    5%

    10%

    None of them

    22%

    3%

    35%

    7%

    19%

    22%

    Don’t know

    11%

    7%

    10%

    9%

    13%

    7%

    30% believe that the Labor Party mainly represents working class people and 22% don’t think they represent any class. 43% of Labor voters think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class and 36% of Greens voters think they mainly represent the middle class. 35% of Liberal/National voters don’t think they represent any class.

    27% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 34% of those who say they are middle class think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class. 35% of those who say they are working class think the Labor Party mainly represents the middle or upper classes.

  • Jul, 2012

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    Does Australia have a working poor?

    Charities are reporting a 50 per cent increase in calls for help and most are coming from underpaid workers, says Ged Kearney.


    Australia’s economic success amidst global uncertainty is the envy of the international community. Yet despite Australia’s glowing report card, there is a growing class of people known as “the working poor”.

    These are people who are most often employed in the service industry, working shifts and surviving on a day-to-day basis. They are paid the minimum wage which is actually less than half the average wage in Australia. ACTU President Ged Kearney tells 3Q this section of the population have slipped through the gap and are not part of the national debate.

  • Mar, 2012

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    Income Level to be Middle Income

    Q. What annual income level would you say was “middle income” for a single person?

    What annual income level would you say was “middle income” for a family of 2 parents and 2 children?

     

    Single Person

    Family

     

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Total

    Income under $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Less than $40,000

    6%

    13%

    4%

    1%

    1%

    3%

    $40,000-$59,000

    31%

    35%

    34%

    28%

    7%

    14%

    5%

    2%

    $60,000-$79,000

    38%

    32%

    41%

    47%

    21%

    27%

    25%

    15%

    $80,000-$99,000

    15%

    12%

    14%

    17%

    28%

    26%

    33%

    29%

    $100,000-$119,000

    3%

    2%

    4%

    3%

    20%

    14%

    21%

    26%

    $120,000-$149,000

    1%

    1%

    1%

    1%

    11%

    9%

    8%

    17%

    $150,000-$199,000

    *

    1%

    5%

    2%

    4%

    10%

    $200,000 or more

    *

    1%

    1%

    Don’t know

    5%

    5%

    2%

    1%

    5%

    5%

    3%

    1%

    median

    $66,000

    $60,000

    $65,000

    $69,000

    $94,000

    $83,000

    $92,000

    $103,000

    69% of respondents think that “middle income” for a single person is between $40,00 and $79,000 a year. 38% think it is $60,000-$79,000.

    80% of those earning under $1,000 pw think “middle income” for a single person is less than $80,000, while those on more than $1,600 pw are most likely to think it is $60,000-$79,000 (47%). The median (average) income for “middle income” for a single person is $66,000.

    Estimates are more broadly spread when it comes to “middle income” families – 69% think it would be between $60,000 and $119,000. 65% think it would be at least $80,000. The median (average) income for “middle income” for a family is $94,000.

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  • Mar, 2012

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    Social Class Identification

    Q. Do you consider yourself –

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Income under $600pw

    Income $600 – $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Working class

    34%

    41%

    30%

    24%

    40%

    44%

    40%

    22%

    Middle class

    50%

    46%

    54%

    64%

    31%

    36%

    52%

    69%

    Upper class

    1%

    *

    1%

    *

    1%

    2%

    None of them

    12%

    11%

    12%

    12%

    27%

    18%

    6%

    5%

    Don’t know

    3%

    2%

    2%

    1%

    2%

    1%

    1%

    50% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 34% as “working class” – only 1% claimed to be “upper class”.

    Those on higher incomes were more likely to identify as “middle class” while those on lower incomes were less likely to identify with any of these descriptions.

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