Microeconomic effects of Australian natural disasters. This project aims to describe and identify the effects of Australian natural disasters – such as the Black Saturday bushfires and the Brisbane floods – on important microeconomic outcomes, including health, education and employment. Natural disasters have profound economic and social effects on individuals and communities. This project intends to bring evidence on how disasters affect individuals and how the effects can be lessened. The proj ....Microeconomic effects of Australian natural disasters. This project aims to describe and identify the effects of Australian natural disasters – such as the Black Saturday bushfires and the Brisbane floods – on important microeconomic outcomes, including health, education and employment. Natural disasters have profound economic and social effects on individuals and communities. This project intends to bring evidence on how disasters affect individuals and how the effects can be lessened. The project expects to inform policy-makers on these critical issues by analysing field, survey and administrative data on individuals before and after past disasters.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Hiring and Firing Costs on Wages and Unemployment. Hiring and firing costs are a crucial part of intense debates over relationships between labour market flexibility, wages and unemployment. However, we have little information about their levels and structure. Using a new theoretical model of the impact of hiring and firing costs, together with information from a large-scale survey of Australian firms, this project quantifies their impacts on wages and unemployment. Better infor ....The Impact of Hiring and Firing Costs on Wages and Unemployment. Hiring and firing costs are a crucial part of intense debates over relationships between labour market flexibility, wages and unemployment. However, we have little information about their levels and structure. Using a new theoretical model of the impact of hiring and firing costs, together with information from a large-scale survey of Australian firms, this project quantifies their impacts on wages and unemployment. Better information about these impacts will contribute to current policy on training, unfair dismissal laws, and regulation of overtime. Efficiency gains from better policy will be a major national benefit, together with improved prospects for unemployed Australians.Read moreRead less
The Demand for Older Workers: Technology, Skill and Employment Opportunities. "Productive ageing" policies are central to Australia's strategies for the governance of population ageing. But little is known about the determinants of firms' demand for older workers. By uncovering the impact that technological change has on firms' hiring and training decisions, this study will critically complement our understanding of older workers' constrained employment opportunities. In so doing it seeks to inf ....The Demand for Older Workers: Technology, Skill and Employment Opportunities. "Productive ageing" policies are central to Australia's strategies for the governance of population ageing. But little is known about the determinants of firms' demand for older workers. By uncovering the impact that technological change has on firms' hiring and training decisions, this study will critically complement our understanding of older workers' constrained employment opportunities. In so doing it seeks to inform the long-term policy debate on how best to adjust our economy to the current major demographic and technological development. Its outcomes will be of interest and use to policy makers, industry, advocacy groups, unions and the wider community.
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How the allocation of children's time affects the stimulation of cognitive and non-cognitive development. In a 2008 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, more than seven percent of Australian children have fewer than 11 books in their family home, Australia ranks in the bottom third of OECD nations for infant mortality and 21st out of 27 for children eating meals with their parents. The Rudd Government is committed to a child-centred approach to family policy. In ....How the allocation of children's time affects the stimulation of cognitive and non-cognitive development. In a 2008 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, more than seven percent of Australian children have fewer than 11 books in their family home, Australia ranks in the bottom third of OECD nations for infant mortality and 21st out of 27 for children eating meals with their parents. The Rudd Government is committed to a child-centred approach to family policy. In this study we investigate the allocation of Australian children's time and its effect on their cognitive and non-cognitive development. Cognitive and non-cognitive development is crucial to the future wellbeing of a child and therefore to the wellbeing of the nation.Read moreRead less
Living on the Margin: The Relationship between Mental Health and Work in Australia. This project will assess the relationship between Australians' mental health and their work, for example, employment status, work conditions and hours. The study is the first to exploit the detailed timing of mental health and employment transitions to identify whether poor labour market outcomes lead to poor mental health or whether the reverse is true. New Australian data will be used to understand whether the ....Living on the Margin: The Relationship between Mental Health and Work in Australia. This project will assess the relationship between Australians' mental health and their work, for example, employment status, work conditions and hours. The study is the first to exploit the detailed timing of mental health and employment transitions to identify whether poor labour market outcomes lead to poor mental health or whether the reverse is true. New Australian data will be used to understand whether the link between mental health and work adds to the economic vulnerability of families and those at risk of homelessness. The results will advance our understanding of the way that mental health affects overall economic well-being and will inform current policy initiatives to promote economic participation and good mental health.Read moreRead less
Modelling the labour market and the impact of the tax-benefit system on employment and GDP. The key national benefit from the proposed project will be development of a more informed and rigorous basis for analysing and making decisions on an important set of policy issues. The project will develop a more empirically relevant modelling framework than currently available for analysing changes in the labour market and in tax and welfare policies. The results will assist policy analysts in identifyi ....Modelling the labour market and the impact of the tax-benefit system on employment and GDP. The key national benefit from the proposed project will be development of a more informed and rigorous basis for analysing and making decisions on an important set of policy issues. The project will develop a more empirically relevant modelling framework than currently available for analysing changes in the labour market and in tax and welfare policies. The results will assist policy analysts in identifying directions for reform that can raise living standards and achieve a more egalitarian society. The project will also identify reforms required to avert an ageing crisis, and those that inhibit GDP growth due to their negative effects on female employment, household saving and fertility. Read moreRead less
Integrating public and private retirement risk protection: public policy and business practice. Demographic shift has brought widespread calls for structures which allow both the private and public sectors to participate in retirement protection. This project will deliver outcomes for co-ordinating public policy and business practice to finance adequate retirement protection, and identify opportunities for specific outcome improvements.
Human Capital, Cognitive Skills and Labour Market Outcomes. As Australia competes in the ‘educational race,’ this project will generate new knowledge on the relationship between education, skill attainment and economic outcomes in Australia. The research will provide new empirical evidence on cognitive and non-cognitive skills formation over the life-cycle, and the relationship between these skills and labour market outcomes in Australia within the broader international context. The research wil ....Human Capital, Cognitive Skills and Labour Market Outcomes. As Australia competes in the ‘educational race,’ this project will generate new knowledge on the relationship between education, skill attainment and economic outcomes in Australia. The research will provide new empirical evidence on cognitive and non-cognitive skills formation over the life-cycle, and the relationship between these skills and labour market outcomes in Australia within the broader international context. The research will advance methodological techniques for the economic analysis of cognitive skills and their economic impacts. The research will inform public policy formulation relating to educational attainment, skill development, and strategies to encourage longer workforce engagement over the life-cycle.Read moreRead less
An Investigation of Chronic and Transitory Poverty in Australia in the Twenty-First Century. People in chronic poverty are unlikely to lead 'healthy, productive or fulfilling' lives. Their unrealized productive and creative potential is a loss to society as well as to the individuals themselves. The information about the intensity of chronic and transitory poverty in Australia that is generated by this project will enable government and charitable institutions to better allocate the substantial ....An Investigation of Chronic and Transitory Poverty in Australia in the Twenty-First Century. People in chronic poverty are unlikely to lead 'healthy, productive or fulfilling' lives. Their unrealized productive and creative potential is a loss to society as well as to the individuals themselves. The information about the intensity of chronic and transitory poverty in Australia that is generated by this project will enable government and charitable institutions to better allocate the substantial resources that they invest annually in programs to assist economically disadvantaged people. The project also has a training function: to develop the research capacity of a postgraduate student who will write a thesis on chronic poverty among children. Read moreRead less
Ageing in a developing country and its effects on intra-household resource allocation. Indonesia, our largest neighbour and our third largest recipient of AID, is among the fastest-growing elderly populations in Southeast Asia. Ongoing cultural and economic change means that the traditional reliance of elderly on family support is breaking down leaving the country's social fabric vulnerable. Understanding the linkages between ageing, ill-health and the labour market responses at the household le ....Ageing in a developing country and its effects on intra-household resource allocation. Indonesia, our largest neighbour and our third largest recipient of AID, is among the fastest-growing elderly populations in Southeast Asia. Ongoing cultural and economic change means that the traditional reliance of elderly on family support is breaking down leaving the country's social fabric vulnerable. Understanding the linkages between ageing, ill-health and the labour market responses at the household level is the path to effectively intervene in the link between age and poverty and to successfully design policy that facilitates improvements in women's social status.Read moreRead less