This paper explores the changes that have taken place over the past few decades in the way in which workers are employed in the construction industry. As a number of studies have recently dealt with the challenge of eliminating recruitment debt, this paper will focus...

Most single working-age adults in Canada on social assistance are living in deep poverty, due to provincial governments’ efforts to curb welfare dependency and maintain work incentives. In this paper, the author calls on provincial policy-makers to increase social assistance benefits for singles to help...

The Morrison Government’s decision to reduce the rate of JobSeeker by $150 from January 2021 will push an additional 190,000 Australians below the poverty line—including 50,000 children—and have a devastating impact on low income families, argues this paper.

Energy hardship can include both absolute and relative measures of financial hardship, as well as circumstances where residents limit their energy use for normal daily activities. This research examines the incidence of energy hardship for Australian low income renters, and considered strategies and policy actions...

This study investigated the impacts commuting costs have on accessing employment for low income workers who are renting their home.

This paper outlines policy options to respond to the increasing prevalence of remote Indigenous food insecurity.

In 2017, the Bureau of Communications and Arts Research found that the affordability of communications services in Australia had improved overall. In general, consumers were getting better value as prices stayed the same or fell, while product inclusions (such as data) increased. This paper updates...

This survey explores how the new rate of JobSeeker and other allowances has affected people’s ability to cover essential costs like housing, bills, food, medicine and other vital expenses. The survey also explores how people feel about the federal government’s plan to return income support...

The findings of the report can be used to measure the cost to labour productivity and living standards from the COVID-19 de-globalisation shock, as well as the costs and benefits of post-pandemic policy responses aimed at either decreasing or increasing international connectedness.

This publication continues efforts by the ACOSS/UNSW Sydney Poverty and Inequality Partnership to fill the knowledge gap about the prevalence and profile of poverty in Australia. Utilising the latest data available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it paints a picture of entrenched and...