RDP 1999-03: Householders' Inflation Expectations Appendix A: Selected Questions from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research Surveys of Consumers

Introduction

‘Good… my name is (QOIV) from OZ INFO a market research company in Melbourne and we are conducting a survey of people 18 years and over on their opinions of the current economic climate. We would like you to participate in this survey which will take approximately 10 minutes.’ (Ask to speak to someone in the household whose birthday is closest to today's date.)

Q1: Respondent gender

‘Now just a couple of questions about yourself for analysis purposes.’ (Record respondent sex.)

1. Male

2. Female

Q2: Respondent age group

‘Could you please tell me into which age group do you fall?’ (Read out age groups.)

1. 18–24 years

2. 25–34 years

3. 35–44 years

4. 45–49 years

5. 50–54 years

6. 55–64 years

7. 65+ years

8. Refused

Q3: Respondent occupation (if 2 in Q99EMPL)

‘Are you working?’

‘What is your current occupation?’

The Occupation was (Q3), please code this as shown.

1. Managers and administrators

2. Professionals

3. Para-professionals

4. Tradespersons

5. Clerks

6. Salespersons and personal service workers

7. Plant and machine operators and drivers

8. Labourers and related workers

9. Retired

10. Unemployed/home duties

11. Refused

Q4: Respondent education level

‘And what level of education did/have you achieved?’ (Read out if necessary.)

1. Primary

2. Secondary up to year 10

3. Full secondary

4.&5. Non trade certificate & trade certificate

6.&7. Part & full university or tertiary degree, diploma or certificate

8. Post graduate degree

9. Refused/not applicable

Q5: Voting intention

‘If a federal election was held today could you please tell me which party you personally would vote for?’ (Read out.)

1. Liberal Party

2. Australian Labor Party

3. Australian Democrats

4. The National Party

5. Greens

6. Independents/other

7. None/don't know

Q7: Home ownership

‘And about your home, is your home…?’ (Read out.)

1. Rented

2. Owned, but with a mortgage or loan

3. Owned outright

4. Or some other type (specify)

5. Refused/don't know

Q11: Household income

‘Could you please tell me what the combined household pre-tax income is?’ (Read out ranges.)

1. Up to $20,000

2. $21,000–$30,000

3. $31,000–$40,000

4. $41,000–$50,000

5. $51,000–$60,000

6. $61,000–$70,000

7. $71,000–$80,000

8. $81,000–$90,000

9. $91,000–$1,00,000

10. More than $1,00,000

11. Refused

Q13: Postcode

‘And finally, could you please tell me your postcode?’

Use Q0loc if 1 in Q99SEX and 1–12 in Q0LOC

Use Q0loc+12 if 2 in Q99SEX and 1–12 in Q0LOC

Use Q99SEX+24 if 13 in QOLOC

Section A: Consumer sentiment index/inflationary expectations

Q3A: Future economic conditions

‘Thinking of economic conditions in Australia as a whole. During the next 12 months, do you expect we'll have good times financially, or bad times, or what?’

1. Good times

2. Good with qualifications

3. Some good, some bad

4. Bad with qualifications

5. Bad times

6. Uncertain/don't know/it depends

Q6A: News items

‘Now, about news items. During the last few months, have you read or heard any news of changes in economic conditions?’

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don't know

Q7A1: First mentioned news item

‘What in particular, were they about?’ (Record first mentioned then go to next question for next item)

Q7AA1: First mentioned news item

‘First mentioned news item was…’ (The codes below list examples of answers to Q7A. If respondent has heard one thing is causing another e.g. government is causing inflation, circle for both government and inflation.)

1. Politicians (Labor Party, Liberal Party, Australian Democrats, etc.)

2. Government (Medicare, budget, spending, etc.)

3. Taxation (flat tax, capital gains, consumption tax, superannuation tax)

4. Wages (claims, indexation, Arbitration Court, wage cases)

5. Inflation (rising costs, groceries, price increases, CPI, etc.)

6. Unemployment (no jobs about, more jobs available, etc.)

7. Money (credit squeeze, banks, interest rates, housing loans/mortgage etc.)

8. Change in Australian dollar (exchange rates etc.)

9. Business (going broke, company profits/losses, share fall/rise etc.)

10. Economic conditions (shortages, recessions, boom, etc.)

11. Farming (rural slump, drought, floods, beef, wheat, superphosphate etc.)

12. Overseas influences (exports, imports, foreign capital, trade deficits etc.)

13. Unions power (strikes, pressure on wages etc.)

14. Other answer (use only if no suitable code above)

15. Don't know/none

Q9A: Next year employment conditions

‘Now about people being out of work during the coming 12 months. Do you think there'll be more unemployment than now, about the same, or less?’

1. More unemployment

2. About the same/some more/some less

3. Less unemployment

4. Don't know

Q10A: Next year price changes

‘I'd like to find out what you think will happen to prices. Thinking about the prices of things you buy, (pause) by this time next year, do you think they'll have gone up or down?’

1. Up(go Q11A1)

2. Down(go Q11A2)

3. The same (go Q99NX1)

4. Don't know/uncertain (go Q99NX1)

Q11A1: Price rise percentage

‘By what percentage do you think prices will have gone up by this time next year?’ (Type a whole percentage number only.)
Go Q99NX1

Question 11A2: Price fall percentage

‘By what percentage do you think prices will have gone down by this time next year?’ (Type a whole percentage number only.)
See Q11A1

Section E

Q2E: Rate of pay

‘I would now like to ask you a few questions about how your pay is determined and how it has changed over the past year. Is your rate of pay currently determined by’

1. An individual contract

2. An agreement across your enterprise

3. The safety net, that is, your wages are determined solely by an award

4. Other (specify)

5. Don't know

Q12A: Next year wage changes

‘Turning now to the wage or salary you expect to receive for your job. Do you think that your average hourly rate of pay is likely to increase, decrease or stay the same over the coming 12 months?’

1. Increase

2. Decrease

3. Same

4. Don't know

Q13A1: Percentage increase/decrease

‘By what percentage do you expect that your rate of pay will (Q12A)?