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Welfare Reform and the Labour Supply of Lone Parents in Australia: A Natural Experiment Approach

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  • Denise J. Doiron

Abstract

Large shifts in the labour supply of lone parents in Australia were observed between 1986 and 1990. Changes in the observed characteristics of lone parents explain only a small portion of these shifts. Propensity score matching and difference‐in‐differences are used to estimate the effects of the substantial policy shifts implemented in 1987. Control groups are constructed from the sample of married mothers. Results suggest that the policy reforms caused a substantial increase in the employment of lone parents while causing a reduction in the hours of work among the workers.

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  • Denise J. Doiron, 2004. "Welfare Reform and the Labour Supply of Lone Parents in Australia: A Natural Experiment Approach," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 80(249), pages 157-176, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:80:y:2004:i:249:p:157-176
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.2004.00170.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaodong Gong & Robert Breunig, 2014. "Channels of labour supply responses of lone parents to changed work incentives," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(4), pages 916-939.
    2. Lixin Cai & Guyonne Kalb & Yi-Ping Tseng & Ha Vu, 2008. "The Effect of Financial Incentives on Labour Supply: Evidence for Lone Parents from Microsimulation and Quasi-Experimental Evaluation," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 29(2), pages 285-325, June.
    3. John Creedy & Guyonne Kalb, 2005. "Behavioural Microsimulation Modelling for Tax Policy Analysis in Australia: Experience and Prospects," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 8(1), pages 73-110, March.
    4. Robert Breunig & Deborah A. Cobb‐Clark & Xiaodong Gong, 2008. "Improving the Modelling of Couples’ Labour Supply," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(267), pages 466-485, December.
    5. Marike Knoef & Jan C. van Ours, 2016. "How to stimulate single mothers on welfare to find a job: evidence from a policy experiment," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 29(4), pages 1025-1061, October.
    6. Bruce Bradbury & Anna Zhu, 2018. "Welfare Entry and Exit after Marital Separation among Australian Mothers," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 94(307), pages 405-423, December.
    7. Boyd Hunter & Matthew Gray, 2012. "Indigenous Labour Supply following a Period of Strong Economic Growth," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 15(2), pages 141-159.
    8. Karnit Flug & Nitsa Kasir (Kaliner), 2006. "The Single Parent Law, Labor Supply and Poverty," Israel Economic Review, Bank of Israel, vol. 4(1), pages 59-110.
    9. Gerards, Ruud & Welters, Riccardo, 2022. "Job search in the presence of a stressor: Does financial hardship change the effectiveness of job search?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    10. Matthew Gray & Lixia Qu, 2006. "Changes in the Labour Force Status of Lone and Couple Australian Mothers, 1983-2005," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 9(4), pages 395-416, December.
    11. Monica Howlett & Matthew Gray & Boyd Hunter, 2016. "Wages, Government Patterns and Other Income of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 19(2), pages 53-76.
    12. Struffolino, Emanuela & Bernardi, Laura & Larenza, Ornella, 2020. "Lone Mothers' Employment Trajectories: A Longitudinal Mixed-method Study," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 45, pages 265-298.
    13. Hayley Fisher & Anna Zhu, 2019. "The Effect of Changing Financial Incentives on Repartnering," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(623), pages 2833-2866.
    14. Vincent Law, 2011. "Welfare Policy and Labour Supply of Immigrants in Australia," Crawford School Research Papers 1109, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    15. Guyonne Kalb, 2010. "Modelling Labour Supply Responses in Australia and New Zealand," Chapters, in: Iris Claus & Norman Gemmell & Michelle Harding & David White (ed.), Tax Reform in Open Economies, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    16. Yin King Fok & Sung-Hee Jeon & Roger Wilkins, 2009. "Does Part-Time Employment Help or Hinder Lone Mothers Movements into Full-Time Employment?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2009n25, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    17. Frish, Roni & Zussman, Noam, 2008. "The effect of transfer payments on the labor supply of single mothers," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 627-643, April.
    18. John Creedy & Guyonne Kalb, 2005. "Behavioural Microsimulation Modelling With the Melbourne Institute Tax and Transfer Simulator(MITTS) : Uses and Extensions," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 932, The University of Melbourne.
    19. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng & Roger Wilkins, 2005. "Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Methods of Microeconomic Program and Policy Evaluation," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2005n08, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    20. Elisa‐Rose Birch, 2005. "Studies of the Labour Supply of Australian Women: What Have We Learned?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 81(252), pages 65-84, March.
    21. Struffolino, Emanuela & Mortelmans, Dimitri, 2018. "Lone Mothers in Belgium: Labor Force Attachment and Risk Factors," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 257-282.

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