This article covers some of the highlights from the latest ABS Household Impacts of Covid-19 Survey that was for the month of February. This survey was conducted between 12 and 21 February, with a response rate of 89% from a sample of a little over 3,000 participants. Note that this timing coincided with the snap 5-day lockdown that was enacted in Victoria after the emergence of some locally-transmitted virus cases.
In terms of the frequency of household activity, February's survey found that participation levels in many areas are still below that from pre-pandemic times. These areas include going shopping, visiting public parks or recreation spaces, exercising at gyms or playing sport, attending social gatherings, using public transport, doing unpaid volunteering and going to a cultural event or venue.
The one exception where participation is now much higher than prior to the pandemic is working from home. In February, almost 41% of Australians were working from home one or more times a week compared to around 24% before March 2020, with this increase clearly reflecting the nature of the restrictions that were enacted. While pandemic-related factors (particularly in Victoria amid the snap lockdown) still account for a sizeable share of those working from home, this survey found that there are several other reasons as to why working from home arrangements remain ongoing. Some of these include flexibility arrangements, to catch up on work, child caring responsibilities and personal choice. Looking ahead, there are strong expectations and, indeed, preferences for current work from home arrangements to continue. Some 47% of respondents said they expected the amount of working to home to stay in place, while 42% of the respondents wanted things to stay as they were. More people (14%) wanted the amount of working from home to increase than those who wanted it to decrease (8%).
Source: ABS
On the other topical issues, this survey reported that overall attitudes towards covid-19 vaccines were unchanged from December, with around 3 in 4 people willing to take the vaccine when it was available and recommended to them. Males (76%) were slightly more prepared to have the vaccine than females (71%). The main issues for respondents guiding their thinking around vaccines were its history of use with no significant side-effects (27%), the recommendations from public health authorities (23%), and the recommendations from their own GPs and other health professionals (21%).
Meanwhile, assessments of household finances remained little changed over the month. Despite the severe economic shock caused by the pandemic and its associated effects, remarkably, only 21% of households assessed their finances had deteriorated relative to a year earlier. This compares with 63% that reported an unchanged position and 16% that saw an improvement, which speaks to the overall effectiveness of the fiscal and monetary policy responses. Relatedly, by the time of this survey, 7% of Australians were receiving the $150 coronavirus fortnightly supplement to the JobSeeker support payment, and only 4% reported receiving the JobKeeper wage subsidy that is either $650 or $1000 per fortnight, depending on eligibility criteria.
