Economic impacts

How fintech can help Indonesia’s small and medium enterprises survive the COVID-19 pandemic

Published on: 5 November 2020

Almost 50% (around 30 million) Indonesian SMEs have been forced to close temporarily, as demand plumetted due to the pandemic.

Have we just stumbled on the biggest productivity increase of the century?

Published on: 3 September 2020

Contrary to what might have been expected, working from home was one part of the pandemic response that went remarkably smoothly. Most kinds of office work continued almost as if nothing had changed.

First-of-a-kind study reveals the global socio-economic and environmental impacts of coronavirus

Published on: 23 July 2020

Two researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) have contributed to a world-first study that has quantified the global socio-economic and environmental impacts of COVID-19. (UQ Business School)

Cutting taxes for the wealthy is the worst possible response to this economic crisis

Published on: 15 July 2020

Australia’s response to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is rightly considered one of the world’s best. At their best, our federal and state politicians have put aside the sterile games dominating politics for decades. (The Conversation)

Did someone say ‘election’?: how politics met pandemic to create ‘fortress Queensland’

Published on: 12 August 2020

Government responses to COVID-19 in Australia have received, by and large, bipartisan support. An exception, it seems, is the imposition of restrictions on interstate movement. State borders have become a lightning rod for political friction and feverish commentary. With elections in the frame, this has escalated into apparent “border wars”.

Australian beaches could be less crowded thanks to COVID-19's effect on the future population

1.4 million less than projected: how coronavirus could hit Australia’s population in the next 20 years

Published on: 6 August 2020

As the pandemic rolls on, attention is also now turning to the impact of COVID-19 on population size, structure and distribution.

Post-pandemic brave new world of agriculture

Published on: 31 July 2020

Robots working in abattoirs, sky-high vertical farms, more gene-edited foods in our supermarkets and automated farming systems could all help guarantee food supply in the next pandemic.

Forget JobSeeker – Australia needs a 'liveable income guarantee' instead

Published on: 2 July 2020

While the government is reportedly considering a revamp of both the JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments, these UQ researchers believe a much broader rethink is needed of the way we provide income support to people without a market income.

A woman having a telehealth consultation with her GP during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telehealth in lockdown meant 7 million fewer chances to transmit the coronavirus

Published on: 22 June 2020

The expansion of telehealth services was a deliberate strategy to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission between practitioners and patients, so is it working?

How to plan for future pandemics

Published on: 8 June 2020

As the world continues to grapple with the magnitude of the COVID-19 outbreak, Contact takes a look at how much the coronavirus has affected Australia’s healthcare system, and whether the country is prepared if a second outbreak occurs.