Consolidated social research report

• Angela Southwell, and others
• Fair Work Australia

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17 June 2011This paper presents the views and experiences of minimum wage-reliant employee participants and employers of minimum wage-reliant workers from a mix of metropolitan and regional locations across all states and territories. The research comprised two phases of focus group, in-depth interview and online discussion forum data collections. The first phase (conducted in November and December 2009) sought to examine the experiences of participants over the preceding 12 month period and identify the sentiment, attitudes and behaviours at that point in time. The second phase of research (conducted in March and April 2010) examined the changes in experiences, attitudes and behaviours of the participants over the research period and identified factors influencing decision-making and behaviours over 2010.

For employer participants, optimism notably increased over the research period. The sense of cautious optimism about economic conditions observed in the first phase of the research gave way to greater confidence by the second phase. Positive ‘growth’ focused decisions, including increases in staff hours and recruitment, were being made by some participants in the second phase of the research. For employee participants, the general sentiment that the ‘worst was over’ strengthened over the course of the research, but optimism did not necessarily match that of the employer participants as many remained cautious in their decision-making about work and life. The primary concerns of many employee participants shifted over the course of the research from employment and earnings related matters to increases in living cost. The focus on cost of living pressures in the second phase of the research closely reflected findings from similar research undertaken in buoyant economic conditions, where these issues dominated discussions.

Authors: Angela Southwell, Sophie Elliott, Neil Stafford and Gillian French (TNS Research).

Image: NoHoDamon / flickr