‘Fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay’?
Household incomes lower in Queensland
CPD’s Laura Eadie joined Pat Hession on ABC Local Radio North Queensland. They discuss the low average household incomes in Queensland, despite the state being a resource based economy with some high income mining workers. Laura’s recent report All boom, no benefit? Why Queensland needs a new economic strategy found that the Queensland average income is five per cent lower than the national standard.
Regional Queensland is being hit the hardest
The Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) believe that the low wages in Queensland have not kept pace with the cost of living. The growing demand for services is the highest in rural and regional areas, QCOSS chief executive officer Mark Henley argues
“People who are on low income, we’re seeing that their income levels are only rising possibly 2, 3 or 4 per cent,” he said.
“But in some areas we’re seeing the essentials, those costs are rising at significantly higher rates and they’re having to make tough decisions about, what do you go without?”
Download the audio with Laura Eadie at ABC North Queenland
Read the article at the ABC
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