Read the following passage about Multiple Jobholding in Australia and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the opti...

Read the following passage about Multiple Jobholding in Australia and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 18 to 22.

In March 2025, approximately 963,100 Australian workers are juggling multiple jobs to survive economically, representing a dramatic shift in employment patterns. The rising cost of living, (18)_________, is the primary driver of this phenomenon. This represents a significant rise compared to pre-COVID levels, indicating a structural crisis in the labour market that demands immediate attention and policy intervention. Younger workers and women (19)_________. Short-term financial gains from second jobs often mask serious health consequences; workers experience fatigue, stress, and diminished well-being. The healthcare and social assistance sectors, where flexible scheduling permits multiple jobholding, are witnessing higher rates of workers seeking supplementary income to maintain basic living standards. (20)_________.

If the primary employment provided adequate wages and full-time hours, workers would not feel compelled to seek additional roles. (21)_________; underemployment persists despite seemingly favourable figures and economic indicators. Many Australians are working two jobs, not from ambition but from necessity and pure economic survival. (22)_________. The phenomenon represents more than a side-hustle trend—it signifies systemic failure in wage policy and economic management. Policymakers must recognize this crisis and implement comprehensive policies addressing wage insufficiency and cost-of-living pressures urgently. Without intervention, multiple jobholding will continue escalating, perpetuating cycles of exhaustion and financial instability for millions of Australian workers struggling to maintain basic living standards.

https://www.abs.gov.au/lk

Question 18:

A. which has improved investment returns and business profitability significantly

B. has reduced credit availability and employment opportunities substantially

C. which has increased mortgage repayments and household expenses dramatically

D. has decreased financial burdens and consumer savings considerably

Question 19:

A. have entirely overcome those structural barriers, having secured permanent economic prosperity today

B. seem considerably favored within modern conditions, whom severe troubles completely overcome

C. remain substantially benefited from such opportunities, which suffering minimal material challenges

D. are disproportionately affected by these economic pressures, facing unprecedented financial hardship

Question 20:

A. Wealth has remained consistently abundant throughout selected professions but skilled workers

B. Success has declined substantially marginal beyond few sectors yet unskilled populations

C. Prosperity has disappeared rarely limited within narrow sectors or individual persons

D. Underemployment has become increasingly prevalent across various industries and demographic groups

Question 21:

A. Those comfortable illusions suggest that wage metrics completely would maintain incomplete structural economy financial soundness

B. This stark reality reveals that unemployment statistics alone cannot capture true labour market health

C. Such inadequate measures confuse; income data exclusively might preserve complete sectoral employment condition capacity factors

D. These misleading assumptions dispute that income records exclusively could enhance limited sectoral labour ecosystem robustness

Question 22:

A. What data easily captures is the strong economic prosperity of global markets and financial systems

B. What statistics successfully demonstrate is the great economic benefit of financial inclusion and market growth

C. What statistics fail to illustrate is the human cost of economic inequality and financial stress

D. What research constantly reveals is the clear social advantage of economic equality and overall prosperity