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%).
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).
economic issue, electricity costs, petrol prices
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%).
020913, 2 September 2013, Budget Surplus, economic issue, inflation, Interest rates, tax levels, unemployment, wealth disparity
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%).