With most new jobs going to women, their workforce participation rate is growing at nine times the rate for men. But, while participation is on track for parity in a decade, pay is another matter.
The evidence suggests the impact of CEOs on company performance isn’t enough to justify their sky-high pay, which is really based more on a culture of power and privilege.
Migrants have similar home ownership rates to the overall population and rely less on public housing. But housing supply shortfalls and higher prices have reduced ownership among recent migrants.
Pressure to meet ever-higher performance targets can lead to misconduct of the sort exposed by the royal commission. Targets need to operate within a framework of ethical governance to avoid this.
The NBN is on track to be privatised after the infrastructure is completed, but there are a number of other options that would retain the benefits of its disruption of the telecommunications market.
Personal income taxpayers are shouldering more of the burden, while less revenue is coming from taxes on companies, capital and consumption. Only major reforms will change these sustained trends.
Many children receive gift cards or even ask for them so they can choose their own presents. But are youngsters ready to handle the wiles of advertisers and the complexities of ‘credit’ on a card?
There is even more research showing open-plan environments can actually have negative impacts on collaboration. Workspaces should provide various options for different work styles and preferences.
Many vulnerable workers aren’t covered for work-related injuries and illness. Employment law is largely a federal matter while compensation schemes are state-run, but there’s a way to fix the problem.
News that Australian CEO pay has soared to a 17-year high at a time when ordinary workers’ wages are flatlining is ultimately bad news for economic growth and prosperity.
There is very little evidence that overall labour market insecurity is getting any worse. Trends are stable for rates of casualisation, churn, self-employment and multiple job holders.
Workforce participation rates for older women have increased greatly, but most workplaces have yet to realise the benefits of helping them to manage the impacts of menopause.
Bitcoin’s rise and fall to date already makes it one of the greatest market bubbles in history. In turbulent times, some have suggested it as a substitute for gold, but it lacks some vital attributes.
Restructuring might help manage conflicts of interest between offering advice and selling products, but it doesn’t fix the culture that sacrifices customers’ interests to the pursuit of profits.
Michael Gilding, Swinburne University of Technology; Dean Lusher, Swinburne University of Technology, and Helen Bird, Swinburne University of Technology
The only predictor of boards reaching 30% female directors is if it has a director who sits on another board that has already met the target.
Billions of taxpayer dollars are committed before all the evidence for, and against, infrastructure projects is in. As well as missing business cases, basic rules of economic modelling are broken.
With enough will and resourcing, many of the structural issues that make financial services a trial for many Indigenous consumers can be overcome. But we need more regulation to deter sharp practice.