The cost-of-living crisis is hitting Australian households hard – high interest rates, record increases in the costs for essential goods and services and stagnant wages growth are putting unprecedented pressure on weekly budgets.

Governments at all levels have responded decisively with a range of actions to help families and other households manage these cost pressures – including tax cuts, utilities bill relief, assistance with health care costs and direct payments for low-income households.

But there is a hidden, unspoken black hole in household budgets that government cost-of-living policies has failed to address. This black hole is gambling losses.

Across Indonesia and Australia, ageing populations and rising incomes are driving growth in aged care, together with the favourable policy environment enabled by the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).

Equity Economics and the ACT Alliance for Evidence-Based Education have submitted a joint submission to the 2024-25 ACT Budget process, proposing a $92 million investment over four years to allow the ACT public education system to become a work leader in implementing evidence-based literacy and numeracy practices.

A national study into Australia’s literacy standards by Equity Economics has found that four in ten 15-year-old students are not meeting reading benchmarks. The cost of lost lifetime earnings for those who fall behind is estimated at over $12 billion alone. This doesn’t even begin to account for the emotional costs to individuals or costs to our economy in terms of lost productivity and poorer health and wellbeing outcomes.

A new report by Equity Economics has found that children in ACT classrooms are not being taught to read in a way that aligns with the science and research on literacy instruction.

Equity Economics have produced a submission to the Treasury’s ‘Measuring What Matters’ Framework, proposing that children need to be front of mind when developing and implementing our wellbeing framework.

Equity Economics, in partnership with the Code REaD Dyslexia Network, have produced a joint submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the National School Reform Agreement, which calls for early and continuous screening in schools to support struggling readers and lift literacy outcomes.

Equity Economics prepared a report with The Parenthood that finds Australian women are falling behind their international peers. Ranked number 1 in the world for levels of educational attainment, Australian women fall to number 70 in the world for levels of economic participation. This poor performance is hurting our economy and hindering efforts to achieve equity between men and women.

Equity Economics worked with The Parenthood and key partners on a new report, supported by the United Workers Union, developing a range of reforms needed to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent.

Equity Economics worked with the Ardoch Youth Foundation to deliver an evaluation of their Community Education Volunteers Program. The program operates in schools to help disadvantaged children reach their potential.