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Who are the low paid?

Author

Listed:
  • Seamus McGuinness

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • John Freebairn

    (The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

This paper provides pictures of low pay adult employees in Australia in 2004 drawing on data from the HILDA survey. The low paid are disaggregated into full-time and part-time employees. Estimates from multivariate probit models reveal that low wage employees are more likely to have casual status, single marital status, a low educational attainment, aged 21 to 30 or 60 plus, be employed in small firms, non-unionised, and have a lower occupational tenure. The magnitude of effect of these distinguishing characteristics is much larger for part-time versus full-time employees. Low paid employees, and more so in the case of full-time employees, are spread fairly evenly across households with different incomes. For about a half of low paid employees, a low paid job, especially if it is full-time, is a stepping stone to a higher paying job in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Seamus McGuinness & John Freebairn, 2007. "Who are the low paid?," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 10(1), pages 17-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:ozl:journl:v:10:y:2007:i:1:p:17-37
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richardson, S., 1998. "Who Gets Minimum Wages?," CEPR Discussion Papers 386, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Maitre, Bertrand & McGuinness, Seamus & Redmond, Paul, 2017. "A study of minimum wage employment in Ireland: The role of worker, household and job characteristics," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT332.
    2. Robson, Doug & Rodgers, Joan R, 2008. "Travail to No Avail? Working Poverty in Australia," Economics Working Papers wp08-08, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor Economics Policies; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials; Wages; Compensation; and Labor Costs; Public Policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy

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