An article in today’s Age about the decline of middle class jobs in the USA has highlighted some of the issues I have raised in a number of articles.  The Age reports on a study undertaken by the National Employment Law Project in the USA.  The NELP describes a ‘low wage recovery’ and  relates concerns…

The Federal Government’s determination to repeal Section 18C of the federal Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibits racial abuse sets a troubling precedent in relation to other forms of discrimination in Australia. The specious argument put forward by Attorney General George Brandis, is that Section 18C inhibits freedom of speech and that people “people do have a right…

Young people always like to think that as they get older, their circumstances will become easier – that they will be consolidated in their careers, in a stable family situation, and, of course, secure financially. But midlife is full of risks for many people and more so than ever with the rapidly changing labour market.…

President Obama’s 2014  State of Union address was admirable at many levels, expanding themes of his 2013 address.  His wishes for Americans include jobs growth foremost, but also a rise in the minimum wage, better health care coverage, equality of opportunity for women, and increased focus on education from early childhood to college levels. His overarching…

The Conversation looks at a new report from the Productivity Commission on labour mobility. In the article, I commented that the polarisation in the labour market between ‘good’ jobs and ‘bad’ jobs  makes it hard for people to move around for jobs. Why would you leave your home, your family, your community for a casual or…

The discussion of a retirement age of 70 as proposed by the Productivity Commission and the Grattan Institute over the last week is remarkable in that it does not engage with any questions of the changing nature of work and employment and how this might impact on the capacity of many people to keep working…

A version of the following article appeared in the Conversation in February 2014. The Conversation article was republished in Business Review Weekly  the Australian Finacial Review, and the SBS News Website Post script 27 February 2014 – the  Australian Financial Review reports on the success of the online agency Freelancer in its debut on the ASX and gives some insights…

The most challenging and distressing report that I read this year was the World Bank’s Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided.  Click here for report. The report presented a forensic analysis of the potential impact of climate change on a range of environments across the globe and considered the social implications…

The paucity of women amongst the new Government’s key decision makers as ministers, outer ministers and parliamentary secretaries has raised a furore in public debate. It also raises questions more generally about women’s progress in an advanced and wealthy democracy. What of the efforts of women over the past 30, 50 or 100 years, to…

In 2008, I wrote a paper, presented at the International Council of Social Welfare conference, that considered questions of mobility from low end jobs to better jobs and the role of welfare to work social policies in facilitating this transition especially for women. The paper is of interest now because it refers to the pre…