Roy Morgan Research: Latest Federal and State Polls

MOST AUSTRALIANS THINK THEIR JOB IS SAFE BUT GETTING ANOTHER JOB IS ANOTHER STORY

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Unemployment to increase / decrease Now 49% (down 3% since November 2009 and down 21% since June 2009) of Australians expect unemployment to increase in the next 12 months while 22% (down 2%) say that unemployment will fall and 25% (up 3%) say unemployment will remain the same and 4% (up 2%) don't know according to a special telephone Morgan Poll conducted over the last two nights, February 7/8, 2012. Job security A decreased majority of employed Australians (80%, down 2% since November 2009) say their present job is safe, while 17% (up 1%) say there is a chance they may become unemployed and only 3% (up 1%) don't know. Finding a new job In Australia, 43% (up 4% - the highest since November 1993) of employed Australians say it might take longer to find a new job if they were to become unemployed compared to 51% (down 3% from November 2009 - the lowest since November 1993) of workers that say if they became unemployed they'd be able to find a new job fairly quickly while 3% (unchanged) wouldn't look and 3% (down 1%) don't know.

L-NP (55%) HAS STRONG LEAD OVER ALP (45%)

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

In early February L-NP support is 55% clearly ahead of the ALP 45% on a Two-Party preferred basis according to a telephone Morgan Poll conducted over the last two nights, February 7/8, 2012. Although the face-to-face Morgan Poll usually releases over a two-week block it is designed to enable week by week reporting when there is a major event. The face-to-face Morgan Poll taken last weekend shows the L-NP (53.5%) cf. ALP (46.5%) holding a similar lead. This week's telephone Morgan Poll shows the L-NP primary vote is 46.5% - ahead of the ALP 31%. Support for the minor parties shows the Greens 12% and Others/ Independents 10.5%. If a Federal election were held today the L-NP would win easily according to today's Morgan Poll. The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating is at 95 (the lowest since September 10/11 & 17/18, 2011) with 42% saying Australia is 'heading in the right direction,' compared to 47% saying Australia is 'heading in the wrong direction.'

2.21 MILLION AUSTRALIANS UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED - HIGHEST EVER RECORDED. UNEMPLOYMENT AT 10.3% - A RECORD 1.28 MILLION AUSTRALIANS LOOKING FOR WORK

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

In January 2012 according to Roy Morgan: • Unemployment was 10.3% (up 1.7% since December 2011) - an estimated 1,278,000 Australians were unemployed and looking for work. This is Australia's highest ever number of unemployed as reported by Roy Morgan and is also Australia's highest unemployment rate for a decade - since January 2002 (10.9% - 1,075,000 ). • A further 7.5% of the workforce* were working part-time looking for more work (underemployed) - 934,000 Australians. • In total a record 17.8% of the workforce, or 2.21 million Australians, were unemployed or underemployed. • The Australian workforce* in January was at a record high 12,429,000, up 383,000 since January 2011 - comprising 7,681,000 full-time workers (up 106,000); 3,470,000 part-time workers (down 53,000) and 1,278,000 looking for work (up 330,000). • The latest Roy Morgan unemployment estimate of 10.3% is now almost double the 5.2% currently quoted by the ABS for December 2011.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE UNCHANGED AT 117.0 AND CLEAR MAJORITY (60%) STILL SAY 'NOW IS A GOOD TO BUY' MAJOR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Consumer Confidence is unchanged at 117.0pts (unchanged in a week), according to the Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating conducted last weekend (February 4/5, 2012). Consumer Confidence is now 0.7 points lower than a year ago, February 5/6, 2011 (117.7). Australians' are less confident about their personal financial situations this time next year with 37% (down 3%) saying they expect their family to be 'better off' financially while 18% (up 1%) expect to be 'worse off'. Now 31% (down 1%) of Australians say their family is 'better off' financially compared to a year ago while 29% (down 3%) say their family is 'worse off' financially. Australians are more confident about Australia's economy over the next twelve months with 32% (up 2%) of Australians expecting Australia to have 'good times' economically over the next twelve months compared to 28% (down 4%) of Australians that expect 'bad times'. Purchase the latest detailed "Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Monthly Report 2011"

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED AT 117.0 (DOWN 0.3PTS), BUT MAJORITY (62%) SAY 'NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO BUY MAJOR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS'

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Consumer Confidence is virtually unchanged at 117.0pts (down 0.3pts in a week), according to the Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating conducted last weekend (January 8/29, 2012). Consumer Confidence is now 3.7pts lower than a year ago, January 29/30, 2011 (120.7). The small fall in Consumer Confidence has been driven by Australians having decreasing confidence in their personal financial situation compared to this time last year. Australians' are less confident about their personal financial situations this time next year with 40% (down 2%) saying they expect their family to be 'better off' financially while 17% (down 1%) expect to be 'worse off'. Now 32% (unchanged) of Australians say their family is 'better off' financially compared to a year ago while 32% (up 4%) say their family is 'worse off' financially. However, Australians are less worried about Australia's economy over the next twelve months with 32% (down 2%) of Australians expecting 'bad times' economically over the next twelve months compared to 30% (unchanged) of Australians that expect Australia to have 'good times'. Purchase the latest detailed "Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Monthly Report 2011"

L-NP (52%) LEAD CUT AS ALP GAINS (48%)

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

In mid January L-NP support is 52% (down 2% from the last face-to-face Morgan Poll) just ahead of the ALP 48% (up 2%) on a Two-Party preferred basis according to the face-to-face Morgan Poll conducted over the last two weekends, January 14/15 & 21/22, 2012. The L-NP primary vote is 42.5% (down 2.5%) - ahead of the ALP 38.5% (up 1.5%). Support for the minor parties shows the Greens 12% (up 1.5%) and Others/ Independents 7% (down 0.5%). If a Federal election were held today the L-NP would win according to today's Morgan Poll. The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating is at 115 (up 12pts) - the highest since May 7/8, 2011, with 49% (up 5.5%) - saying Australia is 'heading in the right direction,' while 34% (down 6.5%) say Australia is 'heading in the wrong direction.'

TRADE UNIONS HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR AUSTRALIA (67%), BUT MEMBERSHIP MUST BE VOLUNTARY (87%) SAY CLEAR MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

A clear majority of Australians (67%, up 5% since November 1974) say that 'Trade Unions have been a good thing for Australia' compared to only 18% (down 10%) that say 'they have been not good' and 15% (up 5%) can't say. However 87% (up 9% since May 1977) of Australians believe membership of Trade Unions should be voluntary compared to only 9% (down 9%) that say compulsory and 4% (unchanged) can't say. A majority of Australians (57%, up a huge 49% since November 1974) believe there is 'about the right number' of strikes, while 32% (down 59%) say they 'occur too often' and 11% (up 10%) believe strikes should 'occur more often' - significantly, 45% of L-NP supporters believe strikes 'occur too often' compared to only 22% of ALP supporters. When asked whether workers in different types of jobs should be allowed to strike, Australians clearly supported the 'right to strike' across all three categories asked: • Private Industry: Legal to strike 83% (up 25% since Nov. 1974) cf. Not legal to strike 12% (down 18%); • Public Utilities - Buses, electricity, Post Office: Legal to strike 76% (up 28%) cf. Not legal to strike 21% (down 21%); • Government Workers: Legal to strike 77% (up 29%) cf. Not legal to strike 21% (down 20%).

AUSTRALIANS STILL BELIEVE ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL ISSUES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS FACING AUSTRALIA (35%, UP 2%) & THE WORLD (47%, UP 2%)

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

In 2012 Australians believe the most important problems facing Australia and the World are Economic and Financial issues according to the latest Roy Morgan Research conducted on the nights of January 17/18, 2012. Australian views on Problems facing Australia When asked about the most important problem facing Australia, Economic & Financial issues are mentioned by 35% (up 2% since October 2011) including the Economy, Economic problems & Interest Rates 11% (up 2%), Unemployment 6% (up 1%), Cost of Living 3% (up 1%) and Disapprove Carbon Tax 3% (down 1%). A group of issues labelled 'Government, Politics, Immigration & Human Rights issues' are named by 28% (down 4%) of Australians. Within that group 14% (up 1%) mentioned the Government, the political system, political leadership and Julia Gillard, 7% (down 7%) mentioned Refugees and asylum seekers, and 4% (up 1%), mentioned the related issue of Immigration/ Immigration policies. Australian views on Problems facing the World The biggest World problems are clearly Economic & Financial issues (47%, up 2% since October 2011), which remains just below the peak of 51% reached over two years ago in May 2009. Within the broad group of Economic issues 21% (unchanged) mentioned the Economy, Economic problems, Interest rates; ahead of Poverty & the gap between the rich and poor at 13% (up 3%), Financial problems/ Money issues at 4% (down 1%) and Over-population at 4% (up 1%) as the most important Economic issues.