This paper uses data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey and a simultaneous equations approach to analyze the effects of the 2004 government funded 'Baby Bonus' on fertility intentions and ultimately births.In May 2004, the Australian government announced a “Baby Bonus” policy, paying women an initial A$3,000 per new child. The...

This paper presents statistical evidence on the nature of working time arrangements in Australia, and especially their distribution. More specifically, the paper analyses: (i) the distribution of weekly working hours in Australia and how that has changed over time; (ii) the extent of mismatch between usual and preferred hours of work, and the degree of...

Panel data from Australia are used to study the prevalence of work hours mismatch among long hours workers and, more importantly, how that mismatch persists and changes over time, and what factors are associated with these changes. Particular attention is paid to the roles played by household debt, ideal worker characteristics and gender. Both static...

Women are more sensitive to life events than men according to this paper by Robert Drago, Mark Wooden and David Black. Women’s preferred hours and labor force participation decline sharply with pregnancy and the arrival of children; approach usual levels as children enter school and decline as they become empty-nesters. They also find women’s preferred...

Robert Drago, David Black and Mark Wooden tested alternative hypotheses for the causes of long working hours, using data for an Australian sample of full-time employed workers. The results suggest that long hours (50 or more hours in a usual week) are often persistent, and provide strongest support for the consumerism hypothesis, with some support...