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Estimation of Labour Supply in New Zealand

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In this paper we estimate labour supply using a discrete choice approach for single men, single women and single parents and a joint labour supply equation for couples in New Zealand. The data are based on pooled cross-sectional data from the Household Economic Survey over 2006/07 to 2010/11. We allow singles to choose from eleven discrete hours whilst couples choose from 66 combined working hour choices. Net incomes at all possible discrete working-hours are calculated using Treasury’s TAXWELL microsimulation model. For non-workers, net incomes are estimated based on an imputed wage. In order to fit the model to the observed working hour distribution we include a fixed cost of working parameter and we explicitly take account of observed and unobserved heterogeneity in the data. We find that the coefficient estimates of the labour supply equations mostly accord with expectations and are reasonably comparable with previously estimated equations for New Zealand. Using the equations we find that the labour supply predictions fit the observed data reasonably well. However, despite the inclusion of a fixed cost of working parameter, the peak working hours of around 40 hours per week in the observed data is under-predicted by the models, while part-time hours of work remain over-predicted. We compute labour supply elasticities from the estimated parameters which show that single parents and single women are the most responsive, whilst partnered men and single men are the least responsive.

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  • Joseph Mercante & Penny Mok, 2014. "Estimation of Labour Supply in New Zealand," Treasury Working Paper Series 14/08, New Zealand Treasury.
    • Handle: RePEc:nzt:nztwps:14/08
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    1. Keane, Michael & Moffitt, Robert, 1998. "A Structural Model of Multiple Welfare Program Participation and Labor Supply," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 39(3), pages 553-589, August.
    2. Joseph Mercante & Penny Mok, 2014. "Estimation of wage equations for New Zealand," Treasury Working Paper Series 14/09, New Zealand Treasury.
    3. John Creedy & Guyonne Kalb, 2005. "Discrete Hours Labour Supply Modelling: Specification, Estimation and Simulation," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(5), pages 697-734, December.
    4. Dickens, William T & Lundberg, Shelly J, 1993. "Hours Restrictions and Labor Supply," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 34(1), pages 169-192, February.
    5. Hausman, Jerry A., 1979. "The econometrics of labor supply on convex budget sets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 171-174.
    6. Cameron,A. Colin & Trivedi,Pravin K., 2005. "Microeconometrics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521848053.
    7. Guyonne R. Kalb, 2000. "Labour Supply and Welfare Participation in Australian Two-Adult Households: Accounting for Involuntary Unemployment and the 'Cost' of Part-time Work," Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre Working Papers bp-35, Victoria University, Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre.
    8. Train,Kenneth E., 2009. "Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521747387.
    9. Guyonne Kalb & Rosanna Scutella, 2003. "New Zealand Labour Supply from 1991-2001: An Analysis Based on a Discrete Choice Structural Utility Model," Treasury Working Paper Series 03/23, New Zealand Treasury.
    10. Arthur van Soest, 1995. "Structural Models of Family Labor Supply: A Discrete Choice Approach," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 30(1), pages 63-88.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nolan, Matt, 2018. "Income-leisure preferences in New Zealand: 1988-2013," Working Paper Series 7660, Victoria University of Wellington, Chair in Public Finance.
    2. Duo Qin & Sophie van Huellen & Raghda Elshafie & Yimeng Liu & Thanos Moraitis, 2019. "A Principled Approach to Assessing Missing-Wage Induced Selection Bias," Working Papers 216, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    3. Nolan, Matt, 2018. "Income-leisure preferences in New Zealand: 1988-2013," Working Paper Series 20841, Victoria University of Wellington, Chair in Public Finance.
    4. Creedy, John & Gemmell, Norman & Hérault, Nicolas & Mok, Penny, 2018. "Microsimulation Analysis of Optimal Income Tax Reforms. An Application to New Zealand," GLO Discussion Paper Series 213, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Nazila Alinaghi & John Creedy & Norman Gemmell, 2020. "The Redistributive Effects of a Minimum Wage Increase in New Zealand: A Microsimulation Analysis," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 53(4), pages 517-538, December.
    6. Creedy, John & Gemmell, Norman & Hérault, Nicolas & Mok, Penny, 2018. "Microsimulation Analysis of Optimal Income Tax Reforms. An Application to New Zealand," GLO Discussion Paper Series 213, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. John Creedy & Penny Mok, 2017. "Labour supply in New Zealand and the 2010 tax and transfer changes," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(1), pages 60-78, January.
    8. Penny Mok & Joseph Mercante, 2014. "Working for Families changes: The effect on labour supply in New Zealand," Treasury Working Paper Series 14/18, New Zealand Treasury.
    9. Isabelle Sin & Steven Stillman & Richard Fabling, 2017. "What drives the gender wage gap? Examining the roles of sorting, productivity differences, and discrimination," Working Papers 17_15, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    10. Nolan, Matt, 2018. "New Zealand Wage Equations: 1988-2013," Working Paper Series 7659, Victoria University of Wellington, Chair in Public Finance.
    11. John Creedy & Penny Mok, 2017. "Labour supply in New Zealand and the 2010 tax and transfer changes," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(1), pages 60-78, January.
    12. John Creedy & Penny Mok, 2019. "Labour supply elasticities in New Zealand," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(2), pages 125-143, May.
    13. John Creedy & Penny Mok, 2018. "The marginal welfare cost of personal income taxation in New Zealand," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(3), pages 323-338, September.
    14. Nazila Alinaghi & John Creedy & Norman Gemmell, 2020. "The Redistributive Effects of a Minimum Wage Increase in New Zealand: A Microsimulation Analysis," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 53(4), pages 517-538, December.
    15. John Creedy & Penny Mok, 2019. "Labour supply elasticities in New Zealand," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(2), pages 125-143, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labour supply; discrete choice; random utility; multinomial logit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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