A third of Australians live payday to payday

Consumer confidence may be at its highest in more than 30 years, but for many Australians last week's announced tax cuts will have little impact on their day-to-day lives.

A survey conducted by career networking site Linkme.com.au shows that 34.3 per cent of Australians live "pocket-to-mouth".

And while 82 per cent would like to plan their finances better, 43.5 per cent say they did not make enough money to be able to budget any differently.

And for 29.6 per cent in the survey of more than 800 respondents, they say unexpected expenses always get in the way of getting ahead financially.

”Recent tax cuts will not improve the situation for most people and housing shortages and rising rents are just making things worse,'' Linkme.com.au CEO Campbell Sallabank says.

”Housing prices, petrol, bread and milk costs have all sky rocketed whilst salary levels have languished over the past decade.''

Tax cuts help, but more money sought

Tax cuts from July 1 will see a monthly saving of $14.42 per week or $750 per year for someone on an average salary of around $50,000.

For people in the $30,000-$40,000 wage bracket, they will get a slightly higher $21.15 per week or $1100 per year, but for anyone on $25,000 per year of less, they will get just $2.88 per week or $150 per year.

Data released yesterday showed consumer confidence is sitting at its highest since January 1975.

But Mr Sallabank says 24.6 per cent of respondents say they are currently forced to look out for a job that pays more money, while 61.3 per cent say they have to make their lifestyle suit their pay and this means cutting back on luxuries in order to survive.

”The reality is there are tremendous skill shortages in Australia and employees can charge themselves out at a premium,'' Mr Sallabank says.

”There seems to be a great deal of job hopping and no wonder as the pressure to make ends meet is reaching boiling point.''

Source: AAP