Free HR Services from our Employee Relations Experts. Find out more.

Our Business Services

Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA

With over 130 years of experience representing WA businesses, we’re ready to help with the resources and advice you need to succeed.

Employee Relations Helpline

Employee Relations Helpline

Get timely, reliable and practical employee relations advice on employment laws, the awards system and other human resource matters. CCIWA Members get unlimited access.

Legal Services

Legal Services

Our team of experienced, client-focused business lawyers offer a full range of Commercial Law & Employment Law services for all your essential legal needs.

Accounting & Taxation Services

Optima Partners and CCIWA

Innovative and personalised accounting, taxation and business advisory services that focus on delivering the best results to help your business grow.

Workplace Health & Safety Services

Workplace Health & Safety Services

Unlock the potential of your business with our suite of staff training and development programs, crafted by workplace relations experts and tailored to your business needs.

Construction & Mining IR Services

Construction & Mining IR Services

We offer extensive, independent and practical industrial and labour relations support to the engineering, construction and mining industries.

Workplace Training & Development

Workplace Training & Development

Unlock the potential of your business with our suite of staff training and development programs, crafted by workplace relations experts and tailored to your business needs.

Apprenticeship Support Australia WA

Apprenticeship Support Australia WA

Our dedicated team specialises in assisting employers maximise the benefits of investing in apprenticeships and traineeships to build local skills for the diverse WA workforce. Our team of experts will provide all the advice, support and services you need — free of charge.

Work Integrated Learning – Internships

Work Integrated Learning - Internships

Tap into WA’s future workforce with our Work Integrated Learning – Internships program. This free service facilitates university student work experience placements for your business.

Industry Capability Network WA

Industry Capability Network WA

Connecting your business with mining, construction, infrastructure, defence and other major projects using the ICN Gateway.

International Trade Services

International Trade Services

Take your business global using our comprehensive suite of international trade services to streamline importing and exporting, reduce risks and identify international partners.

Consumer confidence boosted but no relief for struggling retailers

West Australians’ confidence in the economy has rebounded to a six-year high in the June quarter, with a surge in optimism resulting from a re-elected Federal Government and lower interest rates.

This is in contrast to last quarter’s results which saw both short-term and medium-term confidence decline ahead of the Federal election. More than four out of five West Australians (84%) expect the economy to improve or remain the same in the short-term and 81 per cent in the medium-term.

These are the findings of the CCI Consumer Confidence Survey – the only survey of its kind in WA, canvassing the views of adult consumers in both metropolitan Perth and regional WA.

The Federal Election had a significant influence on confidence this quarter, with almost half (44%) of West Australians stating that the Federal Government’s re-election boosted their confidence in the economy, up 18 per cent since last quarter.

The RBA’s decision to cut the cash rate to a record low 1.25 per cent have also had the intended positive affect, with two out of five (42%) respondents citing interest rates as a key contributor to their increased optimism – up 10 per cent.

WA businesses continue to struggle from consumers’ reluctance to part with discretionary cash, which means boosting consumer confidence is critical to stimulate the WA economy.

Despite cost of living pressures easing slightly this quarter, it continues to be cited by West Australians as the most significant factor holding their confidence back. Almost three in five (58%) West Australians said living costs such as transport, groceries and utilities stifled their confidence in the economy and almost two-thirds (65%) do not expect to make a major purchase in the next quarter, including three out of four (75%) lower-income households.

WA consumers’ overall financial health remains a concern, with more people reporting that they are unable to pay their bills on time, up 4 per cent to 20 per cent, as well as an increase in the number of people unable to pay off their credit card, up 1 per cent to 20 per cent.

Almost three times as many lower income earners (26%) experienced a period of unemployment over the last three months compared with higher income earners (9%) – up 8 per cent since the March quarter – at the same time that youth unemployment in WA has hit the highest in the country.

We should be concerned by the very difficult business conditions for retailers and the subsequent high rate of unemployment among some of our most vulnerable. WA’s youth unemployment problem is a result of a struggling retail which is a significant employer of our young people. 8,900 West Australians want a job in the retail sector but are unable to find one.

Online shopping has turned the retail trading hours debate on its head and our politicians need to realise that decades of big changes have occurred in the market. WA’s laws are not keeping up and while every other state has made progress these laws are costing WA jobs.

We don’t tell Google or Amazon to shut down their website, but we force WA businesses to shut their doors. It’s critical that the State Government and Opposition act now to implement incremental changes to WA’s outdated retail trading hours and regulations to support WA retailers to compete.

To read CCI’s Consumer Confidence Survey click here.

Share This Post