This regularly held colloquium presents key Melbourne Institute research findings, and provides a forum for discussions on a broad range of topics that inform and shape Australian economic and social policy. Each colloquium is moderated by the Melbourne Institute Director (Professor A. Abigail Payne) or the Melbourne Institute Deputy Director (Professor Roger Wilkins).

All colloquiums will be held at 12pm AEST on Zoom, so they are ideally timed for you to join during your lunch break, wherever you are working from. We also offer participation through Slido. You will receive the links for both Zoom and Slido in your confirmation email after you register.

Capturing Heterogeneity in Consumer Sentiment

Tuesday 21st September 2021, 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm AEST

Dr Viet Nguyen

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again proven that the Consumer Sentiment Index is a vital and timely indicator of the health of the economy. This is particularly evident in the household sector, due to the close link between consumer sentiment and consumption. The research extracts information about differences in consumer sentiment within a group of households and between different groups of households in the consumer survey data. This adds to the pool of information about the household sector to enhance the effectiveness of macro policies aimed at improving household consumption. Dr Viet Nguyen is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Survey – the longest consumer survey in Australia. His research, which uses the survey to understand consumer expectations, has been published in top international peer-reviewed journals.

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