2012 Outlook – Economy and Family
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think 2012 will be a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
Dec 10 |
Total bad
Dec10 |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know/Not applicable | |
| The Australian economy | 48% | 16% | 29% | 35% | 3% | 26% | 32% | 28% | 7% | 3% |
| Your personal financial situation | 39% | 20% | 33% | 27% | 4% | 29% | 38% | 20% | 7% | 2% |
| Your workplace * | 47% | 16% | 45% | 20% | 6% | 39% | 36% | 15% | 5% | 2% |
| You and your family overall | 51% | 14% | 52% | 16% | 10% | 42% | 30% | 12% | 4% | 2% |
* based on working people
Overall, respondents were optimistic that 2012 would be a good year for themselves overall (52%) and their workplace (45%). They tended to be less optimistic about their financial situation (33% good/27% bad) and somewhat pessimistic about the Australian economy (29%/35%).
Compared to expectations 12 months ago, respondents were much less optimistic about the Australian economy (48% good last year compared to 29% good this year) and also rather less optimistic about their own financial situation (39%/20% last year compared to 33%/27% this year).
When compared with last week’s questions on perceptions of 2011, these figures suggest that respondents expect 2012 to be better than 2011 for themselves and their family (net +36% for next year compared to net +24% for this year), a little better for their workplace (+25% next year, +20% last year) and their own financial situation (+6% next year, -2% this year). The Australian economy is expected to be a little worse in 2012 (-6% next year compared to +2% last year).
The Past Year – Personal
Q. Has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
(Dec 10) |
Total bad
(Dec 10) |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| Your personal financial situation | 28% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 5% | 25% | 37% | 22% | 10% | 1% |
| Your workplace * | 43% | 21% | 43% | 23% | 8% | 35% | 33% | 18% | 5% | 2% |
| You and your family overall | 43% | 19% | 44% | 20% | 8% | 36% | 34% | 15% | 5% | 1% |
* based on working people
Respondents were evenly divided over whether it has been a good or bad year financially. Those most likely to say it was a good year were full-time workers (38% good/28% bad), aged under 35 (37%/28%) and incomes over $1,600pw (41%/25%).
Respondents were more positive about their workplace (43%/23%) and overall for themselves and their family (44%/20%). Younger respondents were a little more positive about themselves and their family– those aged under 35 split 50% good/15% bad.
On these measures 2011 was considered very similar to 2010.
Workplace Issues
Q. How much say should employees have in the following issues in their workplace?
| Total a lot/
some say |
A lot of say | Some say | A little say | No say at all | Don’t know | |
| Health and safety | 90% | 63% | 27% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
| Working conditions | 88% | 55% | 33% | 8% | 2% | 1% |
| When they can take annual leave | 86% | 42% | 44% | 11% | 2% | 2% |
| Hours of work and rostering | 77% | 26% | 51% | 19% | 3% | 2% |
| Wages | 76% | 24% | 52% | 18% | 4% | 2% |
| Offshoring jobs (i.e. transferring jobs to another country) | 66% | 37% | 29% | 18% | 12% | 4% |
| Redundancies | 65% | 24% | 41% | 21% | 11% | 3% |
| CEO salary and bonuses | 59% | 29% | 30% | 18% | 20% | 3% |
| Board decisions | 44% | 16% | 28% | 29% | 22% | 4% |
A majority of respondents think employees should have a lot or some say in all workplace issues listed except for board decisions.
63% think employees should have a lot of say in health and safety, 55% in working conditions, 42% in annual leave and 37% in offshoring jobs.
Those on lower incomes (under $1,000pw) were more likely to think employees should have a lot of say in off-shoring jobs (45%) and CEO salary and bonuses (35%).
The Past Year – Personal
Q. Has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| Your personal financial situation | 28% | 28% | 4% | 24% | 42% | 21% | 7% | 1% |
| Your workplace * | 43% | 21% | 6% | 37% | 33% | 17% | 4% | 3% |
| You and your family overall | 43% | 19% | 7% | 36% | 36% | 14% | 5% | 2% |
* based on working people
Respondents were evenly divided over whether it has been a good or bad year financially. Those most likely to say it was a good year were full-time workers (37% good/20% bad), aged under 35 (37%/23%) and incomes over $1,600pw (42%/20%).
Respondents were more positive about their workplace (43%/21%) and overall for themselves and their family (43%/19%). Younger respondents were a little more positive about themselves and their family– those aged under 35 split 50% good/13% bad. Comments »
Staff Christmas Functions
Q. Which of the following situations applies to your workplace regarding staff Christmas functions?
| Dec 08 | Dec 09 | |
| My employer is paying for a staff Christmas function much the same as previous years | 45% | 44% |
| My employer doesn’t usually pay for a staff Christmas function | 37% | 31% |
| My employer usually pays for a staff Christmas function but this year it will be smaller | 10% | 12% |
| My employer usually pays for a staff Christmas function but it has been cancelled this year | 6% | 3% |
| My employer will be spending more than usual on a staff Christmas function | 2% | 1% |
| Don’t know | * | 9% |
N=637. Those that selected ‘not an employee’ have been removed from the above table.
Results are reasonably similar to those obtained last year when we asked the same question.
44% of people surveyed indicated that their employer is paying for a staff Christmas function much the same as previous year, 31% have an employer that doesn’t usually pay for a staff Christmas function and 12% said that their employer paid for Christmas lunch will be smaller this year.
Results were similar across most demographic groups. Comments »
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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Two Party Preferred:
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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