Young mothers, and by extension their children, are one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged groups in Australian society. Around 9 in 10 teenage mothers are receiving income support payments, and they go on to have much lower family incomes in middle age. Are these patterns a direct impact of having their first child when young...

This report focuses on the 'economic' concept of poverty. In Australia, different data sources have led to quite different estimates of poverty. The authors examine the proximate causes of child poverty and canvass a range of policy strategies to address this. It is argued that Australia's relatively high rate of child poverty can be seen...

Does the within-household distribution of income influence household consumption patterns, and children's consumption in particular? During the 1990s, income support for unemployed married couples was changed from being paid almost entirely to husbands, to being paid primarily to wives. The impact of this change is examined using data from household expenditure surveys conducted before, during...

What determines the choice of residential location for workforceage income support recipients? Do jobseekers tend to move toward or away from areas with greater employment opportunities? Does location matter for employment outcomes? In the main article in the latest SPRC newsletter, Bruce Bradbury and Jenny Chalmers discuss the impact of location on employment outcomes.

This project has two objectives: to describe the role of housing markets and housing policies in influencing the locational choice and geographic mobility of income support recipients and other low-income groups; and to analyse the relationship between housing location and employment opportunities, using statistical methods to identify the direct impact of location upon outcomes.