This briefing provides an update on Per Capita's earlier estimates of the cost of Jobactive, given the significant increase in the number of unemployed people needing assistance, and reflects on how the system has adapted so far to the unforeseen surge in case numbers.

For more than six months, COVID-19 has been disrupting the lives, communities and businesses of millions of Australians. It is becoming clear that people of all ages have been affected by this crisis, although some age groups appear to be affected more than others. This paper highlights the experiences of young Australian adults (aged 18-24)...

The present paper addresses the question of how to estimate a social welfare function defined over inflation and unemployment that can help inform the policy decisions of central banks by providing a way to measure the well-being costs arising from macroeconomic fluctuations.

This paper highlights clear evidence from the Australian welfare policy reform that the imposition of job search requirements on benefit recipients results in substantially lower benefit receipt.

Cultural and creative sectors are important in their own right in terms of their economic footprint and employment. They also spur innovation across the economy, as well as contribute to numerous other channels for positive social impact. However they are among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with large cities often containing the greatest share...