In July support for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party was at 53.5% down 1% since June, but still more than double the support for National on 26.5%, down 0.5%, with just over a month to go before the election in mid-September.

With travel and tourism on its knees due to COVID-19, the industry has focused on government aid for its survival.  However new data from the Roy Morgan Research Institute reveals that true recovery won’t hinge on the actions of politicians or bureaucrats but on the choices of millions of high-earning, high-spending consumers.

A special analysis of movement data in Sydney’s CBD shows a new decline in movement in recent weeks as concerns about a second wave of COVID-19 striking the city have increased.

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence slipped 0.4pts to 88.6 this week – and is now at its lowest for over three months since April 25/26, 2020 (85.0). Consumer Confidence is now 27.2pts lower than a year ago on the comparable weekend of August 3/4, 2019 (115.8) and 5.8pts below the 2020 weekly average of 94.4.

In July 2020 Roy Morgan Business Confidence plunged 10.7pts (-11.3%) to 84.3 led by large drops in Victoria (-12.5%), Queensland (-13.3%), Western Australia (-18.2%) and South Australia (-32.1%). Business Confidence in July was well below its level in either June (95.0) or May (89.9).

New research from Roy Morgan shows 1,476,000 Australians watch Netball on TV – and contrary to old stereotypes, that figure includes plenty of men. Netball’s TV viewership is around two-thirds women (1,002,000) but includes almost half a million men (474,000).

In July 12.5% of the workforce (1.79 million Australians) were unemployed. This is a significant drop of 262,000 on June as the Australian economy – with the exception of Victoria – continued to re-open.

Consumer confidence was basically unchanged at 104.3 in July, still well under its historical average but also well off its lows.

New data from the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Report on Mobile Phone Service Providers shows Australia’s two leading mobile phone service providers have increased the satisfaction of their business users substantially since the low points they recorded during 2019.

A special analysis of movement data in the Melbourne CBD shows few people moving around in the CBD and a plunge in movement in Melbourne in the week ending July 13 as “Lockdown 2.0” began – but movement still significantly higher than during the initial stages of the first lockdown in late March.