Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research - Research Publications

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    The validity of the SF-36 in an Australian National Household Survey: demonstrating the applicability of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examination of health inequalities
    Butterworth, P ; Crosier, T (BMC, 2004-10-07)
    BACKGROUND: The SF-36 is one of the most widely used self-completion measures of health status. The inclusion of the SF-36 in the first Australian national household panel survey, the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, provides an opportunity to investigate health inequalities. In this analysis we establish the psychometric properties and criterion validity of the SF-36 HILDA Survey data and examine scale profiles across a range of measures of socio-economic circumstance. METHODS: Data from 13,055 respondents who completed the first wave of the HILDA Survey were analysed to determine the psychometric properties of the SF-36 and the relationship of the SF-36 scales to other measures of health, disability, social functioning and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Results of principle components analysis were similar to previous Australian and international reports. Survey scales demonstrated convergent and divergent validity, and different markers of social status demonstrated unique patterns of outcomes across the scales. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrated the validity of the SF-36 data collected during the first wave of the HILDA Survey and support its use in research examining health inequalities and population health characteristics in Australia.
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    Dynamic economic models in discrete time: theory and empirical applications
    FERGUSON, BS ; LIM, G (Routledge, 2003)
    Economic behaviour is inherently dynamic. While things change continuously over time, much of economic analysis is based on discrete time, such as a month, a quarter, or a year, reflecting the periodic nature of data collecting and decisionmaking. This book introduces and develops the techniques of discrete time modelling starting with first-order difference equation models and building up to systems of difference equations, covering the following topics along the way: • nonlinear difference equation models • random walks and chaotic processes • optimization in discrete time models This easy-to-follow book will primarily be of interest to upper-level students carrying out economic modelling. The nature of the book – bridging a gap between dynamic economic models and empirical analysis – will mean that it will also appeal to all academics with an interest in econometrics and mathematical economics.
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    How do Administrative Arrangements Affect Exit from Unemployment Payments? The Case of the Job Seeker Diary in Australia
    BORLAND, JI ; TSENG, Y (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2003)
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    Do Underlying Measures of Inflation Outperform Headline Rates? Evidence from Australian Data
    Song, Lei Lei ( 2003-12)
    Many central banks often focus on underlying measures of inflation when assessing inflation trends. This paper compares the accuracy of underlying measures of inflation relative to the headline rates by using Australian data. It is found that the underlying measures did have smaller errors in predicting the long-term trend in inflation than the quarterly headline rate in the sample period 1977 to 2001 and the inflation targeting subperiod starting from 1993, due to the large volatility of the headline rate. As compared to the year-ended headline rate, the statistical test results , however, support only the measure of market prices excluding volatile items, not the others. There is some weak evidence of the weighted median measure outperforming the headline rate in the subperiod after 1993. With respect to directional accuracy, the test statistics cannot reject the null hypothesis of an equal probability correctly predicting the moving direction of the inflation trend, though the headline rates have a higher probability.
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    Family Structure, Usual and Preferred Working Hours, and Egalitarianism in Australia
    DRAGO, ROBERT ; TSENG, YI-PING ; WOODEN, MARK ( 2004-02)
    Data from a representative survey of adult Australians are analysed for usual and preferred working time across family types. We discover a time divide regardless of gender and family type: many short hours individuals desire longer hours of employment, while many long hours individuals prefer shorter hours. The latter group is larger such that the average employee desires fewer hours across family types, with the exception of lone mothers. For dual-earner couples with children, men average approximately 20 hours more per week than women, a difference that would only decline to 18 hours per week if preferred hours were realized. However, approximately one-fifth of these couples exhibited egalitarian or nearly equal working hours. Egalitarian couples averaged a combined 84 hours per week of employment, tended to share the care of children, were more likely to be non-Australian born, and included marked numbers of women holding degrees and in professional occupations.
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    Moves to a basic income-flat tax system in Australia: implications for the distribution of income and supply of labour
    SCUTELLA, R (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2004)
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    Do Longer Working Hours Lead to More Workplace Injuries? Evidence from Australian Industry-Level Panel Data
    WILKINS, ROGER ( 2004-05)
    Using Australian industry-level data on weekly hours of work and frequency of new workers' compensation claims for work-related accidents over the 1990s, the relationship between working time and work-related injuries is examined. Results using panel data techniques suggest there is no relationship between working time of full-time workers and workplace safety performance. This finding is in contrast to cross-sectional evidence presented by previous researchers showing significant effects of working time on safety performance. Evidence is found in this study, however, that increased working time of part-time employed persons is associated with a greater rate of workplace injuries.
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    Does 'Work for the Dole' Work?
    Borland, Jeff ; TSENG, YI-PING ( 2004-07)
    This study examines the effect of a community-based work experience program - Work for the Dole (WfD) - on transitions out of unemployment in Australia. To evaluate the WfD program a quasi-experimental exact matching approach is applied. Justification for the matching approach is a 'natural experiment' - limits on WfD project funding - that it is argued constituted a source of random assignment to the program. Participation in the WfD program is found to be associated with a large and significant adverse effect on the likelihood of exiting unemployment payments. The main potential explanation is existence of a 'lock-in' effect whereby program participants reduce job search activity.
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    The Extent and Consequences of Underemployment in Australia
    WILKINS, ROGER ( 2004-08)
    Underemployment is generally conceived as excess labour supply associated with employed persons; that is, as a situation where employed persons would like to work more hours at prevailing wage rates. Using information collected by the 2001 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, this study seeks to investigate the extent of underemployment and its effects on outcomes such as income, welfare dependence and subjective well-being. It is found that over one in six employed persons is underemployed, corresponding to a failure to utilise 5 per cent of hours supplied by employed persons. Underemployment is more frequently associated with part-time employment for females, but for males is more frequently associated with full-time employment. Models estimated of the effects of underemployment on outcomes imply that, while unemployment clearly has greater adverse consequences, underemployment is nonetheless associated with significant detrimental effects on the outcomes examined. Negative effects are found for both part-time employed and full-time employed workers who would prefer to work more hours, but effects are greater for underemployed part-time workers, and are particularly large for part-time workers who would like to work full-time. Indeed, for part-time workers seeking full-time employment, effects attributable to underemployment are, for some outcomes, not far short of those attributable to unemployment.
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    The determinants of research and development and intellectual property usage among Australian companies, 1989 to 2002
    GRIFFITHS, WE ; WEBSTER, EM (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2004)