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Tax-benefit Policies and Parents' Incentives to Work: The Case of Australia 1980-1997

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  • Gerry Redmond

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between unemployment and tax-benefit provisions for families with different numbers of children over the 1980s and 1990s in Australia. How have government policies influenced incentives to work for parents in families with different numbers of children during the 1980s and 1990s? And how can these changing incentives be related to the labour market activities of parents in these families? To examine these important questions we use tax-benefit modelling techniques on hypothetical families to show that for most of the 1980s and 1990s, the Australian tax-benefit system caused considerable incentive problems for low-paid workers, particularly those with several children. However, we also show that of themselves, these incentive problems appear unlikely to be responsible for the consistently high unemployment levels, or low employment levels, found among parents of large numbers of children.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerry Redmond, 1999. "Tax-benefit Policies and Parents' Incentives to Work: The Case of Australia 1980-1997," Discussion Papers 00104, University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:wop:sprcdp:00104
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gerry Redmond, 1999. "Incomes, incentives and the growth of means-testing in Hungary," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 20(1), pages 77-99, March.
    2. Peter Saunders, 1994. "The Role, Value and Limitations of Poverty Research," Discussion Papers 0053, University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre.
    3. Sheila Shaver, 1992. "Body Rights, Social Rights and the Liberal Welfare State," Discussion Papers 0038, University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre.
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