The Middle Years

Registrations for this event are now closed. For any questions please email bcec@curtin.edu.au or ring the team on +61 8 9266 1744.

You’re invited to the launch of Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre’s latest report, The Middle Years, on Thursday 20 November.

Now in its twelfth year, this latest report in the BCEC’s Focus on the States series turns the spotlight onto Australia’s middle years cohort, covering people aged 35 to 55. These are decisive years for careers, family life and long-term financial security. Yet the pressures this group faces are often overlooked in public debate, even as they shape future wellbeing for households, communities and the economy.

For many, the middle years represents a period of advancement at work, growing responsibilities at home and a shift toward wealth building and financial security. Others experience disrupted careers, relationship breakdown, illness, caring responsibilities or housing stress that can derail plans and widen inequality. Often described as the sandwich generation, many are caring for ageing parents while supporting children who remain at home, a combination that can create an intense financial and emotional load.

This report maps the social and economic landscape of the middle years, showing who is progressing and who is at risk, and why. We examine how key life events in these years affect health, wellbeing and financial stability, with a close look at income and employment pathways, caregiving and time use, housing and debt, superannuation and wealth accumulation, and preparedness for later life. We also identify the policies and workplace practices that can ease pressure points and lift outcomes.

Join us for this special lunch event and hear insights from our panel, featuring Helena Jakupovic, General Manager of Financial Wellbeing Collective; Chris Kent, Founder of Talent Horizon; and Danielle Newport, Chief Executive Officer of Relationships Australia WA, in an engaging conversation with Nadia Mitsopoulos from ABC Radio.

Hear the latest research findings from report co-authors Dr Daniel Kiely and Dr Abebe Hailemariam, both Senior Research Fellows at the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre. Taryn Hare, Executive Manager Brand and Marketing at Bankwest, will deliver welcoming remarks, and Professor Alan Duncan, Director of the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, will close this event, our final for 2025.

Whether you are a policymaker, business leader, service provider or researcher, this session offers practical insights to support better decisions for Australians in the middle years.

Date                      Thursday 20 November 2025

Time                     11.30am (for a 12.00pm start) to 2.00pm

Location               Ballroom 2, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Boorloo (Perth), WA

Cost                       $89 per individual ticket, $712 per table of eight, $59 per student ticket

Registrations for this event are now closed. For any questions please email bcec@curtin.edu.au or ring the team on +61 8 9266 1744.