Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research - Research Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11343/414

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 21

Re-engaging with survey non-respondents: Evidence from three household panels

Watson, N ; Wooden, M (Wiley, 2014)

Previous research into the correlates and determinants of non‐response in longitudinal surveys has focused exclusively on why it is that respondents at one survey wave choose not to participate at future waves. This is very understandable if non‐response is always an absorbing state, but in many longitudinal surveys, and certainly most household panels, this is not so. Indeed, in these surveys it is normal practice to attempt to make contact with many non‐respondents at the next wave. This study differs from previous research by examining re‐engagement with previous wave non‐respondents. Drawing on data from three national household panels it is found that the re‐engagement decision is indeed distinctly different from the decision about continued participation. Further, these differences have clear implications for the way that panel surveys should be administered given the desire to enhance overall response rates.
Why Parental Unemployment Matters for Children’s Educational Attainment: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands

Mooi-Reci, I ; Bakker, B ; Curry, M ; Wooden, M (Oxford University Press (OUP), 2019)

This study examines the effect of parents’ unemployment on their children’s subsequent educational attainment. Its theoretical significance lies on its focus to test the mediating role of parents’ changing work ethics during spells of unemployment. Integrating multiple survey and administrative data sources, our estimates are based on a sample of Dutch children (n = 812) who were exposed to their parents’ unemployment during the previous economic crisis in the early 1980s. Our results reveal a direct negative effect between fathers’ unemployment duration and their children’s educational attainment and also an indirect effect through mothers’ changing attitudes towards work. We also find empirical evidence that mothers’ and fathers’ whose views about work become more pessimistic lead to reduced educational attainment among their children.
The Structure of the Wage Gap for Temporary Workers: Evidence from Australian Panel Data

Laß, I ; Wooden, M (Wiley, 2019-01-01)

This study uses panel data for Australia to estimate the wage differential between workers in temporary jobs and workers in permanent jobs. It is the first study to use unconditional quantile regression methods in combination with fixed effects to examine how this gap varies over the entire wage distribution. While the wages of fixed-term contract workers are found to be similar to those of permanent workers, low-paid casual workers experience a wage penalty and high-paid casual workers a wage premium compared to their permanent counterparts. Temporary agency workers also usually receive a wage premium, which is particularly large for the most well paid.
Panel Conditioning and Subjective Well-being

Wooden, M ; Li, N (SPRINGER, 2014-05)
Personal Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Implications of SWB Homeostasis and Set-Points

Cummins, RA ; Wooden, M (SPRINGER, 2014-02)
Trends in the Prevalence of Psychological Distress Over Time: Comparing Results From Longitudinal and Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys

Butterworth, P ; Watson, N ; Wooden, M (Frontiers Media, 2020-11-26)

Background: While there is discussion of increasing rates of mental disorders, epidemiological research finds little evidence of change over time. This research generally compares cross-sectional surveys conducted at different times. Declining response rates to representative surveys may mask increases in mental disorders and psychological distress. Methods: Analysis of data from two large nationally representative surveys: repeated cross-sectional data from the Australian National Health Survey (NHS) series (2001–2017), and longitudinal data (2007–2017) from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Data from each source was used to generate weighted national estimates of the prevalence of very high psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10). Results: Estimates of the prevalence of very high psychological distress from the NHS were stable between 2001 and 2014, with a modest increase in 2017. In contrast, the HILDA Survey data demonstrated an increasing trend over time, with the prevalence of very high distress rising from 4.8% in 2007 to 7.4% in 2017. This increase was present for both men and women, and was evident for younger and middle aged adults but not those aged 65 years or older. Sensitivity analyses showed that this increase was notable in the upper end of the K10 distribution. Conclusions: Using household panel data breaks the nexus between declining survey participation rates and time, and suggests the prevalence of very high psychological distress is increasing. The study identifies potential challenges in estimating trends in population mental health using repeated cross-sectional survey data.
Non-Standard Employment and Wage Growth in Australia

Lass, I ; Wooden, M (Wiley, 2020-09-01)

Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, and after restricting attention to employees, we observe an increase over time in the non‐standard employment share, all of which is concentrated in the period since 2009. Further, we find clear evidence that employees in non‐standard forms of employment have experienced relatively low rates of growth in hourly wages when compared with permanent full‐time employees. Nevertheless, decomposition analysis suggests that changes in workforce composition by employment type have had a very small (and insignificant) impact on the overall rate of wage growth in recent years.
Paid Parental Leave evaluation: Phase 1

Martin, B ; HEWITT, B ; Baird, M ; Baxter, J ; Heron, A ; Whitehouse, G ; Zadoroznyj, M ; Xiang, N ; Broom, D ; Connelly, L ; Jones, A ; Kalb, G ; McVicar, D ; Strazdins, L ; Walter, M ; Western, M ; Wooden, M (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012)
Intergenerational Disadvantage: An Introduction to the Key Issues

Wooden, M (Wiley, 2020-06-01)

As in many other countries, economic and social commentators in Australia have long been concerned about high and rising levels of economic and social inequality. That said, inequality per se is not necessarily regarded as a bad thing. What often concerns people more is inequality in opportunity. In Australia this is embodied in the notion of a right to a ‘fair go’, something that many (if not most) political leaders have espoused a commitment to at some point. The origins of the ‘fair go’ in Australia, however, are rooted in the trade union movement and our industrial relations system. It is this notion that underpins things like minimum award wages and protections against unfair dismissals. The basic argument is that anyone who is prepared to work hard should be rewarded. At the same time, this notion is then often extended to argue that those who are not prepared to work hard should receive minimal protection from the state. But what if disadvantage begins well before people reach working age? Indeed, what if it is circumstances at birth that are most critical? This was the topic at the centre of a workshop organised by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, which in turn provides the basis for the three contributions presented here.1 The contribution by Miles Corak is an adapted version of his keynote addresses to this workshop, while the remaining contributions, by Esperanza Vera‐Toscano and Irma Mooi‐Reci, are summaries of key themes that emerged from other presentations and discussions at the workshop.
Four Dimensions of Quality in Australian Jobs

Ribar, DC ; Wooden, M (Wiley, 2020-06-10)

We develop and analyse comprehensive, multi‐item scales of the quality of Australian jobs, using the rich measures of job characteristics from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Through exploratory methods and multidimensional item response theory modelling, we uncover four gender‐specific scales that describe the autonomy, demands/engagement, compensation adequacy and security of jobs. From 2001 to 2016, women’s job demands/engagement and compensation adequacy grew noticeably, and men’s job demands/engagement grew somewhat. Since the mid‐2000s, job security has fallen for both women and men. Job quality rises with job tenure, work experience and health, and falls following involuntary job changes.