The extent of poverty and social exclusion in Australia is measured using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. For each individual, the authors construct a measure of social exclusion that recognises its multidimensionality, including its potential variability in depth at a point in time and in persistence over time...

There is a close correspondence between disability benefit receipt and labour market outcomes according to this study of Centrelink records. Entry to disability support pensions via unemployment benefits is associated with substantially reduced prospects of exiting the pension, while employment during this time is associated with increased success in staying off payments once an exit...

This Discussion Paper has been prepared by the National Emissions Trading Taskforce, which reports to the Premiers and Chief Ministers of all Australian States and Territories. The paper sets out a possible design for a national emissions trading scheme. The scheme is designed to achieve long term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in an economically...

David Johnson and Roger Wilkins show that there was a significant increase in private income inequality over the 1980s and 1990s.The increase in dispersion for disposable income was modest, however, implying that taxes and transfers acted to mitigate the increases in inequality emanating from changes in private income. Changes in the distribution of work across...

Hielke Buddelmeyer and Roger Wilkins describe the dynamics of smoking behaviour in Australia, using HILDA data to track individuals’ smoking behaviour over the period 2001 to 2003, during which time smoking ban initiatives in Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory came into effect. They exploit this variation over time and across states to assess the...