Coronavirus: Australians anxious but back government’s measures

Two-thirds of Australians are anxious or worried about COVID-19, with nearly 40 per cent fearing they are ‘likely’ to get the virus.

Swimmers prepare to enter the water on Sydney’s Bondi Beach last week after restrictions were lifted. Picture: Getty Images

Two-thirds of Australians say they are anxious or worried about COVID-19, with nearly 40 per cent fearing they are “likely” to get the virus in the next six months, a new study says.

A majority of Australians is backing the response of the ­nation’s leaders to the crisis, with the proportion of Australians expressing confidence in the federal government surging from 27.3 per cent in January to 56.6 per cent in April. Confidence in state and territory governments was even higher, increasing from 40.4 to 66.7 per cent over the same period.

The Australian National University study, which surveyed more than 3100 people in January and February, and the same group again last month, is the first longitudinal examination of the social, mental, economic and political impacts of the coronavirus.

Researchers Nicholas Biddle and Matthew Gray said the findings painted a picture of “hardship and distress, but also resilience”, with more than 600,000 losing their jobs because of the pandemic.

Professor Biddle said Australians were also feeling extremely anxious about job security.

“Perceived levels of job insecurity are very high,” he said. “One in four employed Australians thinks it is probable they will lose their jobs in the next 12 months, which is almost twice as high as it has ever been over that period since 2001.

“Over one in four employed Australians assess the likelihood that they will lose their job over the next 12 months as being more than 50 per cent.”

The study also found the employment rate fell from 62 per cent in February to 58.9 per cent last month. “This is unprecedented in modern Australian economic history,” Professor Gray said.

“Declines in employment are largest for those aged 18-24 years, with a relatively large fall in employment also among those aged 65 years or older.

“If previous periods of high unemployment are any guide, the effect on the young is likely to be felt throughout their working life, and those who leave the labour force when close to retirement age may never return.”

According to the study, people’s working hours also fell from 35.1 to 31.1 hours a week between February and April, with the ­biggest decline felt by women and those born in non-English-speaking countries.

“We also found that the total loss to annual household income is $102bn,” Professor Gray said. “Per-person income dropped by 10.4 per cent, or $740 per person per week in February to $663 per week in April.”

He said the study identified larger declines in income for 18- to 24-year-olds, while there were smaller declines for those who lived in the most advantaged neighbourhoods.

“One of the most important findings from our research is that incomes have increased by 33.5 per cent, from $160 to $213, for Australians at the very bottom of the income distribution,” Professor Gray said.

“This is probably due to the economic hardship measures the government has put in place.”

The impact of the virus and lockdown on mental health is also outlined, with the researchers estimating the average change in life satisfaction observed in the data is equivalent to losing $581 a week.