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Two Decades of Change: The Australian Labour Market, 1993–2013

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  • Roger Wilkins
  • Mark Wooden

Abstract

type="main" xml:lang="en"> This article provides a statistical review of the Australian labour market over the two decades to 2013. It examines changes in: the nature of labour supply and participation; labour utilisation; patterns of employment growth across states; the characteristics of jobs; and earnings. The period can reasonably be characterised as one of strong labour market performance: participation, employment and earnings all increased over most of the period, while measures of job insecurity and work intensity moderated and in some cases reversed. However, earnings inequality increased substantially, at least in part reflecting changes in labour demand favouring the most skilled and educated.

Suggested Citation

  • Roger Wilkins & Mark Wooden, 2014. "Two Decades of Change: The Australian Labour Market, 1993–2013," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 47(4), pages 417-431, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ausecr:v:47:y:2014:i:4:p:417-431
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kostas Mavromaras & Seamus Mcguinness & Nigel O'Leary & Peter Sloane & Yi King Fok, 2010. "The Problem Of Overskilling In Australia And Britain," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 78(3), pages 219-241, June.
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    5. Michael Coelli & Roger Wilkins, 2009. "Credential Changes and Education Earnings Premia in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 85(270), pages 239-259, September.
    6. Gregory, Bob, 2014. "The Two-Step Australian Immigration Policy and its Impact on Immigrant Employment Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 8061, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Esposto, A., 2011. "Upskilling and Polarisation in the Australian Labour Market: A Simple Analysis," Australian Bulletin of Labour, National Institute of Labour Studies, vol. 37(2), pages 191-216.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dinh, Huong & Strazdins, Lyndall & Welsh, Jennifer, 2017. "Hour-glass ceilings: Work-hour thresholds, gendered health inequities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 42-51.
    2. David C. Ribar & Mark Wooden, 2020. "Four Dimensions of Quality in Australian Jobs," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 96(S1), pages 26-49, June.
    3. Michael A. Clemens & Satish Chand, 2023. "Labour Mobility With Vocational Skill: Australian Demand and Pacific Supply," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 56(4), pages 462-486, December.
    4. Jeff Borland & Michael Coelli, 2016. "Labour Market Inequality in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(299), pages 517-547, December.
    5. Ilan Wiesel & Julia de Bruyn & Jordy Meekes & Sangeetha Chandrashekeran, 2023. "Income polarisation, expenditure and the Australian urban middle class," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(14), pages 2779-2798, November.
    6. Barbara Pocock, 2016. "Holding up half the sky? Women at work in the 21st century," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 27(2), pages 147-163, June.
    7. Tinh Doan & Peter Thorning & Luis Furuya-Kanamori & Lyndall Strazdins, 2021. "What Contributes to Gendered Work Time Inequality? An Australian Case Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(1), pages 259-279, May.
    8. Michael Coelli & Jeff Borland, 2016. "Job Polarisation and Earnings Inequality in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(296), pages 1-27, March.
    9. Paul Oslington, 2020. "What is an Australian Job Worth?," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 53(4), pages 482-493, December.

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