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  • Mar, 2015

    Economic issues

    Q. Do you think the following have become better or worse compared to 12 months ago?

      Total better Total worse   A lot better A little better No change A little worse A lot worse Don’t know   Total better Oct 2014 Total worse Oct 2014
    Company profits 34% 23% 10% 24% 26% 15% 8% 17% 31% 19%
    Your personal financial situation 19% 41% 3% 16% 38% 25% 16% 2% 16% 44%
    Wages 13% 36% 1% 12% 44% 24% 12% 8% 9% 36%
    The economy overall 16% 55%   2% 14% 23% 36% 19% 7% 18% 50%
    National debt 14% 53% 2% 12% 22% 27% 26% 12% 15% 51%
    Job security 10% 53% 2% 8% 31% 30% 23% 7% 6% 61%
    Un-employment 8% 61%   1% 7% 25% 37% 24% 7% 11% 60%
    Electricity costs 12% 66% 2% 10% 18% 32% 34% 5% 7% 67%
    Cost of living 6% 72% 1% 5% 19% 41% 31% 3% 6% 72%

    A substantial majority believe that, in the last 12 months, cost of living (72%), electricity costs (66%) and unemployment (61%) have all got worse.

    The only economic measure that has got better is company profits (34% better/23% worse).

    Compared the last time this question was asked in October, the main shifts have been the economy overall (worse up from 50% to 55%) and job security (worse down from 61% to 53%).

  • Oct, 2014

    Economic issues

    Q. Do you think the following have become better or worse compared to 12 months ago?

     

    Total better

    Total worse

     

    A lot better

    A little better

    No change

    A little worse

    A lot worse

    Don’t know

    Company profits

    31%

    19%

    9%

    22%

    29%

    12%

    7%

    19%

    Wages

    9%

    36%

    *

    9%

    44%

    21%

    15%

    11%

    Your personal financial situation

    16%

    44%

    2%

    14%

    35%

    28%

    16%

    5%

    The economy overall

    18%

    50%

     

    1%

    17%

    27%

    33%

    17%

    6%

    National debt

    15%

    51%

    1%

    14%

    26%

    29%

    22%

    9%

    Unemployment

    11%

    60%

     

    *

    11%

    23%

    36%

    24%

    6%

    Job security

    6%

    61%

    1%

    5%

    26%

    32%

    29%

    7%

    Electricity costs

    7%

    67%

    *

    7%

    19%

    33%

    34%

    6%

    Cost of living

    6%

    72%

    *

    6%

    17%

    40%

    32%

    5%

    A substantial majority believe that, in the last 12 months, cost of living (72%), electricity costs (67%), job security (61%) and unemployment (60%) have all got worse.

    The only economic measure that has got better is company profits (31% better/19% worse).

  • Oct, 2014

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    Concern about economic issues

    Q. How concerned are you personally about the following economic issues? 

     

    Very concerned

    Somewhat concerned

    Not so concerned

    Not at all concerned

    Don’t know

    Cost of electricity and gas

    57%

    28%

    12%

    2%

    2%

    Cost of petrol

    49%

    33%

    11%

    4%

    3%

    Cost of food and groceries

    45%

    37%

    13%

    3%

    2%

    Housing affordability

    40%

    35%

    18%

    4%

    3%

    Job security

    35%

    34%

    21%

    8%

    3%

    Wealth disparity

    33%

    30%

    22%

    7%

    9%

    Unemployment

    31%

    41%

    19%

    6%

    4%

    Tax levels

    28%

    36%

    25%

    8%

    4%

    Interest rates

    25%

    31%

    30%

    11%

    3%

    Value of the Australian dollar

    22%

    31%

    34%

    8%

    5%

    The current budget deficit

    21%

    33%

    29%

    11%

    6%

    National debt

    21%

    33%

    30%

    11%

    5%

    Economic issues of most concern were cost of electricity/gas (57% very concerned), cost of petrol (49%), cost of food and groceries (45%) and housing affordability (40%).

    68% of those aged 45+ were very concerned about the cost of electricity/gas.

    Women were more concerned than men about cost of food and groceries (51% vs 39% very concerned), cost of electricity/gas (62% vs 52%) and cost of petrol (56% vs 43%).

  • Sep, 2013

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    Economic issue of most concern

    Q. Which of the following economic issues are you personally most concerned about?

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Unemployment

    23%

    28%

    22%

    20%

    Wealth disparity

    19%

    29%

    7%

    43%

    Tax levels

    15%

    8%

    21%

    12%

    Inflation

    13%

    13%

    14%

    5%

    Budget surplus

    11%

    3%

    20%

    3%

    Interest rates

    9%

    10%

    10%

    8%

    None of them

    7%

    6%

    6%

    9%

    Don’t know

    3%

    4%

    1%

    23% were most concerned about unemployment, 19% about wealth disparity and 15% about tax levels. Only 11% were most concerned about a budget surplus.

    Labor voters were most concerned about wealth disparity (29%) and unemployment (28%), while Liberal/National voters were most concerned about unemployment (22%), tax levels (21%) and a budget surplus (20%).

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