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Studies of the Labour Supply of Australian Women: What Have We Learned?

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  • ELISA‐ROSE BIRCH

Abstract

Economic theory suggests that women's labour supply decisions can be understood through the careful modelling of their preferences for work and leisure and of the constraints that they face. Potential factors that influence this decision‐making process might be of an economic, demographic or institutional nature. The present paper reviews the empirical evidence on the influence of these factors on women's labour supply in Australia. It shows that while there is a broad consensus in some areas, there is generally a wide range of findings in relation to each potential determinant of labour supply. Moreover, this does not seem to have been narrowed by the use of more sophisticated methodology.

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  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:81:y:2005:i:252:p:65-84
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.2005.00211.x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kennedy, Tom & Rae, Maria & Sheridan, Alison & Valadkhani, Abbas, 2017. "Reducing gender wage inequality increases economic prosperity for all: Insights from Australia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 14-24.
    3. Vahedi, Andisheh & Krug, Isabel & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew & Westrupp, Elizabeth M., 2018. "Longitudinal associations between work-family conflict and enrichment, inter-parental conflict, and child internalizing and externalizing problems," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 251-260.
    4. Joanna Abhayaratna & Les Andrews & Hudan Nuch & Troy Podbury, 2008. "Part Time Employment: the Australian Experience," Staff Working Papers 0805, Productivity Commission, Government of Australia.
    5. Guyonne Kalb, 2009. "Children, Labour Supply and Child Care: Challenges for Empirical Analysis," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 42(3), pages 276-299, September.
    6. Hanel, Barbara & Kalb, Guyonne & Scott, Anthony, 2014. "Nurses’ labour supply elasticities: The importance of accounting for extensive margins," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 94-112.
    7. Elisa Birch, 2014. "The Determinants of Earnings for Indigenous Australian Workers," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 17(3), pages 211-232.
    8. Lixin Cai, 2018. "Dynamic Labour Supply of Married Australian Women," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 32(3), pages 427-450, September.
    9. Siobhan Austen (Author A) & Richard Seymour (Author B), 2006. "The Evolution of the Female Labour Force Participation Rate in Australia, 1984-1999," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 9(3), pages 305-320, September.
    10. Donatella Cavagnoli, 2008. "Addiction to work: An Inelastic Wage Elasticity of Labour Supply Equals Long Hours of Work," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 11(2), pages 129-147.
    11. Ross Guest & Nick Parr, 2013. "Family policy and couples’ labour supply: an empirical assessment," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 26(4), pages 1631-1660, October.
    12. Anu Rammohan & Stephen Whelan, 2006. "Child Care Costs and the Employment Status of Married Australian Mothers," CEPR Discussion Papers 517, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    13. Jennifer Poehl & Bruce Cunningham, 2011. "Labour Market Engagement of Mature-Age Workers," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 14(3), pages 237-264.
    14. Rochelle Belkar & Lynne Cockerell & Rebecca Edwards, 2007. "Labour Force Participation and Household Debt," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2007-05, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    15. Tomoko Kishi, 2014. "Female Labour Supply in Australia and Japan: The Effects of Education and Qualifications," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 17(3), pages 233-255.

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