Social background plays only a small role in accounting for differences in occupational status and earnings at age 24, indicating that education is enhancing social mobility, according to this report. However, not all forms of post-secondary education and training are equally beneficial. In terms of earnings, a bachelor degree had the largest impact, increasing earnings...

This paper focuses on financial disadvantage among Australians using data from the first two waves (2001 and 2002) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Four measures of poverty/disadvantage are explored in the paper: • Relative income poverty (households with less than 50% median equivalised disposable income) • Relative after housing...

An analysis of the characteristics of students who fail to complete university courses has found that whether a student attended a government or independent school and their socioeconomic background made little difference to the odds of completing their course. The study, released today, investigated attrition rates from university courses, background factors that may influence attrition...

Crisis accounts of the youth labour market are not supported by the findings outlined in this report. Gary N. Marks also disputes claims that young people who are not fully engaged in full-time work or study are at risk of an unsuccessful school-to-work transition.

The main reason that unsuccessful applicants to university miss out on a place is their lower level of academic performance, Gary N. Marks finds. This report focuses on a group of young Australians who applied to attend university but were not offered a place. These applicants are commonly referred to as indicating ‘unmet demand’ for...