Economists and social commentators have been busy deciding on the biggest lifestyle and career trends that will affect us next year.
With the gig economy booming, it’s likely that side hustles are going to keep going strong. Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed a record-high of 900,000 people had two or more jobs in the June quarter.
And, frankly, with inflation at record highs, who doesn’t need a second job to keep up with prices.
Diversity and inclusion are another area where forecasters tip we will see growth.
Sydney will host the first ever World Pride event in the Southern Hemisphere next year, with Kylie Minogue named as the main headliner.
The event will include a three-day Human Rights Conference, shining a spotlight on global, regional and domestic human rights issues such as race and age.
It is expected that employers will also be forced to look longer and deeper at how they support LGBTQIA+ issues – tokenism and rainbow washing be gone.
In other trends, women’s sport is predicted to attract greater funding as sports organisations and the paying public realise that girls can ramp up the competition factor just as strongly as boys.
The Women’s Euro Championship in July was watched by some 365 million people worldwide, more than double the 2017 viewership.
Get ready for the FIFA Women's World Cup to come to Australia and New Zealand for the first time in 2021e. The Football Federation Australia forecasts a $460 million social and economic benefit from hosting it.
Hot favourites: The Matildas, with sponsorships and marketing deals expected to peak.
Finally, menopause will come out of the closet. Or maybe it already has, with Michelle
Obama, Courtney Cox and Naomi Watts are already talking publicly about it.
With global population of menopausal and postmenopausal women projected to grow by 47 million women a year, to 1.2 billion by 2030, it is expected that employers may consider paid menopause leave and healthcare around menopause may receive more focus.