Labour Economics and Social Policy: Families

Research in this area focuses on labour market behaviour and its consequences for families at various life stages.

Projects examine a range of issues, including work–life balance, jobless households and family labour supply decisions.

Ongoing projects

• Childcare and preschool use and its role in child development in Indigenous families
• Family chronic-stress and socio-economic disadvantage
• Early signs of exceptional children’s upward mobility: Understanding its causes and consequences

Projects completed in 2015

• The impact of Paid Parental Leave rights on children’s health

Projects completed in 2013

• Outcomes of Jobs Education Training (JET) childcare fee assistance recipients

Projects completed in 2012

• The impact of paid maternity leave on labour market outcomes
• Outcomes for teenage mothers in the first years after birth

Projects completed in 2011

• The effects of childcare on child development

Projects completed in 2009

• Dynamics of household joblessness in Australia, 2001–2007

Projects completed in 2008

• Inter-generational correlation of labour market outcomes

Projects completed in 2007

• Childcare demand and household labour supply after 2000
• Use of informal childcare and decisions on work by income support recipients

Projects completed in 2006

• The dynamics of jobless households: Using Waves 1–3 to assess causes and consequences of persistent joblessness

Projects completed in 2005

• The long-term impact of informal care giving on carers

Projects completed in 2004

• Jobless households in Australia: Incidence, characteristics and consequences
• Melbourne Institute Report on the 2004 Federal Budget
• The structure and distribution of household wealth in Australia
• Family structure and work
• The Melbourne Institute analysis of the Australian Labor Party’s Tax and Family Benefits Package
• The consequences of long working hours
• Who uses childcare?

Projects completed in 2003

• Economic and sociological analyses of communities: Existing research findings (Working Paper)
• Effects of family composition and worklessness on the distribution of income and expenditure (Working Paper 19/2003)
• The effects of childcare costs on labour supply

Projects completed in 2002

• A policy simulation of aspects of the tax system using MITTS: Interim project (Working Paper 08/2002, Working Paper 24/2002, Working Paper 25/2002, Working Paper 26/2002)
• The polarisation of work and poverty across Australian households: An empirical study (Working Paper 09/2002)
• Work and family directions in the US and Australia: A policy research agenda (Working Paper 12/2002)
• International comparison of trends in the polarisation of employment
• Economic analyses of families: Existing research findings (Working Paper)
• Understanding and improving data quality relating to low income households
• Neighbourhood and family effects on employment
• Working time preferences in couple households (HILDA)
• Effects of family structure on life satisfaction: Australian evidence (Working Paper)
• The economics of marriage and divorce
• Living arrangements of young people

Projects completed in 2001

• Workless families in Australia