Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research - Research Publications

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    Probing the Effect of the Australian System of Minimum Wages on the Gender Wage Gap
    Broadway, B ; Wilkins, R (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2017-12-04)
    When wage setting is more regulated, the gender wage gap tends to decrease. We examine whether this holds for a complex system of occupation- and industry-specific minimum wages, which cover both low-pay and high-pay segments of the labour market. The system has the potential to close the gender wage gap by ensuring equal minimum pay for equal jobs, but i also has the potential to widen it by discriminating against jobs more commonly held by women. We carefully describe wage levels as well as returns to experience and their association with individual gender as well as the male employment share in the individual’s field (industry or occupation) of work. We find that the gender wage gap among employees receiving a minimum wage is less than half the magnitude of the gap among other employees. Despite this, there is nonetheless evidence that, within the minimum-wage system, there is a wage penalty for employment in jobs more commonly held by women, although only for employees without university degrees. Our results suggest that, for university-educated women, the regulated setting of minimum wages helps to close the gender wage gap and counteracts the undervaluation of work typically undertaken by women. However, for less-educated women, who comprise approximately 82% of female minimum-wage employees, minimum wages could do more to close the gender wage gap if they were neutral with respect to the gender composition of jobs.
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    What Has Been Happening to UK Income Inequality Since the Mid-1990s? Answers from Reconciled and Combined Household Survey and Tax Return Data
    Burkhauser, R ; HERAULT, N ; Jenkins, S ; Wilkins, R (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2016)
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    Effects of changes in family composition and employment patterns on the distribution of income in Australia: 1981-1982 to 1997-1998
    Johnson, D ; Wilkins, R (WILEY, 2004-06)
    We examine income distributions over the last two decades, presenting both non‐parametric kernel density estimates and summary measures. Standard errors of summary measures are also reported to facilitate statistical inference. We find a significant increase in private income inequality, but only a modest increase in disposable income inequality, implying an increase in the inequality‐reducing effects of income taxes and transfers. Using a semi‐parametric procedure developed by DiNardo et al. (1996), we then examine the effects of changes in family characteristics on the distribution of private income, finding that half the increase in inequality is explained by changes in the distribution of employment.
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    Labour Market Outcomes and Welfare Dependence of Persons with Disabilities in Australia
    WILKINS, RK (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2003)
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    Measuring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Australia: A Proposed Multidimensional Framework for Identifying Socio-Economic Disadvantage
    SCUTELLA, R ; WILKINS, R ; Michael, (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2009)