Monthly Inflation Gauge and Cost of Living report

The Melbourne Institute Monthly Inflation Gauge recorded a fall in both monthly and annual inflation. The annual cost of living of key demographic groups also declined.

Published 02 Sep 2024

Economics

‘Doing nothing is not an option’ – top economists back planning reform and public housing as fixes for Australia’s housing crisis

None of the 49 leading economists polled in the latest Economic Society of Australia survey said they believed the market was delivering good outcomes. Read the responses from University of Melbourne economists via The Conversation.

Published 21 Aug 2024

Less about climate change, more on reducing migration: here’s what matters most to Australian voters

We asked thousands of people what issues are most important to them. While the top priorities are the same as in 2022, if we look a bit deeper, what Australians care about is shifting, write Dr Ferdi Botha and Professor A. Abigail Payne.

Published 15 Aug 2024

We found opposition to the Voice is linked to poorer Indigenous health. And in some regions, the link is striking

Indigenous Australians living in areas with stronger opposition to the Voice have poorer health and are less likely to access health care, write Dr Karinna Saxby and Professor Yuting Zhang from the Melbourne Institute.

Published 07 Aug 2024

Stigma around same-sex marriage affected Australians’ health. Here’s what happened in your electorate

Our new study is a reminder of how stigma and the stress that comes with it can have long-term consequences for people’s health, writes Dr Karinna Saxby, Professor Yuting Zhang and Dr Zoe Aitken for The Conversation.

Published 05 Aug 2024

Researchers and advocates set to track the true extent of poverty

In July, the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic & Social Research and Brotherhood of St. Laurence co-delivered a roundtable discussion co-funded by the School of Social and Political Science.

Published 05 Aug 2024

Professor Elizabeth Webster returns to the University of Melbourne to lead the Melbourne Institute

After a decade of impactful research and leadership at Swinburne University of Technology, Professor Elizabeth Webster will commence as Director of the Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research in late July 2024.

Published 25 Jul 2024

Research

Loneliness in the workplace is greatest among men with traditional views about being the breadwinner

Society’s expectations of how a man works and what he earns is a key contributor to how lonely he feels in the workplace, writes Dr Ferdi Botha for The Conversation.

Published 18 Jul 2024

Research

Indigenous people can get cheap or free medicines. But we show access depends on your postcode

When we mapped where Indigenous Australians are using a program to access free or discounted medicines, we found huge variation around the country. Here’s why that’s a problem, write Dr Karinna Saxby and Mike Stephens for the Conversation.

Published 10 Jul 2024

Economics

Closing the gender gap in unpaid domestic duties requires more from men, particularly fathers

The latest ‘Taking the Pulse of the Nation’ (TTPN) survey, conducted by the Melbourne Institute and Roy Morgan shows women spend just over 22 hours a week carrying out unpaid domestic duties, which is seven hours more than men.

Published 17 Jun 2024

Australia can afford to bulk bill all GP visits. So why don’t we?

The aim is to make health care affordable and sustainable. Our new research shows how, writes Professor Yuting Zhang and Dr Karinna Saxby for the Conversation.

Published 04 Jun 2024

University of Melbourne becomes first tertiary institution to be awarded the title of Accredited Data Service Provider by the Federal Government

The University of Melbourne will become a gateway for data researchers after becoming the first university to be awarded the title of Accredited Data Service Provider by the Australian Government’s Office of The National Data Commissioner.

Published 30 May 2024

Economics

Watch: 2024 Downing Public Lecture - May

Professor Betsey Stevenson, Professor of Public Policy and Economics, University of Michigan, presented the second Downing Public Lecture of the year at the University of Melbourne, on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Published 09 May 2024

Media release: ‘Big Brother’ surveillance could be a driver of self-control

Published 07 May 2024

Spend now, save later on poverty-curbing policies

The cost of living crisis will have a deep impact on children whose families are struggling to make ends meet, writes Dr Ana Gamarra Rondinel and Dr Anna MH Price.

Published 06 May 2024

Our research shows a strong link between unemployment and domestic violence: what does this mean for income support?

Domestic violence is not just a critical social and health issue, but a major economic challenge for victim survivors and the nation, writes Dr Karinna Saxby for The Conversation.

Published 03 May 2024

It’s getting even harder to find full-time work. So more people are taking second part-time jobs

Rising costs and the change in the nature of work has led to more people holding more than one job, writes Emeritus Professor Mark Wooden for The Conversation.

Published 04 Apr 2024

Too many Aussies are starting a family and raising their kids in poverty

New research finds that the birth of a first child reduces household income and increases the risk of disadvantage.

Published 26 Feb 2024

Vaping is ‘a young person phenomenon’ in Australia

For the first time, the annual HILDA survey has explored who is using vapes and e-cigarettes. And it’s Australia’s young people getting hooked.

Published 22 Feb 2024

More Australian adult children are living with their parents longer

Australian parents are waiting longer for an empty nest as their adult children are living under the same roof for longer, finds the annual HILDA survey.

Published 19 Feb 2024