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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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    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. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. Roger Wilkins, 2025. "Have Changes in the Australian Labour Market This Century Contributed to Rising Voter Disaffection?," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 58(2), pages 140-153, June.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.

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