News, media releases, opinions and articles from the Centre for Future Work.
The Difference Between Trade and ‘Free Trade’
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent trade policies (including tariffs on steel and aluminium that could affect Australian exports) have raised fears of a worldwide slide into protectionism and trade conflict. Trump’s approach has been widely and legitimately criticised. But his argument that many U.S. workers have been hurt by the operation of current free trade…
Scare Tactics for Corporate Tax Cuts Do Not Stand Fact Checks
“Trump tax cuts: Scott Morrison warns business will abandon Australia while we are at the beach” was the Sydney Morning Herald headline, reporting on the Coalition Government’s scare tactics to press through its tax cuts gift for business. The Treasurer used the opportunity of the Trump tax cuts to issue this “dire” warning. However, his claim does…
Job Opportunity – Research Economist
Deadline for applications is December 21 2017. It’s a chance to be part of our growing team, and to make a contribution to strong, progressive policy research on jobs, employment, fairness, and the future of work! Please download the full notice below for more details. Dutton’s nuclear push will cost renewable jobs As Australia’s federal…
Job Growth No Guarantee of Wage Growth
“‘Remarkable’ jobs growth raises hopes for wages” was the headline for a recent Sydney Morning Herald opinion piece by Clancy Yeates. He bases this claim on “some brighter news on the labour market to balance the bad: there is something of a jobs boom under way”. Apparently “more jobs have been created in 2017 in net terms…
The Future of Work is What We Make It
To receive a copy of the full Fabians Society booklet, please visit their website. There has been an outbreak of public concern recently about the impacts of technological change on employment. Some research suggests that 40 percent or more of all jobs are highly vulnerable to automation and computerisation in coming decades (Frey and Osborne,…
The Paradox of Rising Underemployment and Growing Hours
Paradoxically, underemployment and number of hours actually worked are both on the rise in Australia. Paradoxically, underemployment and number of hours actually worked are both on the rise in Australia. Since 1978 from when the ABS started publishing data on the number of hours worked per month, the hours increased continuously. For example, in July…