Identifies and quantifies restrictions affecting domestic and international trade in distribution services - mainly wholesaling and retailing - in 38 economies, including Australia. The paper also explores the price and cost implications of restrictions in food distribution services.

The consequences of international migration for development in countries of origin and destination remain hotly debated. The immigration flows could be considered an appropriate mechanism to contribute to the de- velopment of origin countries if origin countries recognize the qualifications of...

It has been shown in economic research that public pay-as-you-go defined-benefit pension plans penalize those who continue to work beyond a certain age by reducing the present discounted value of future retirement benefits. In discussions on the effectiveness of policies aimed at eliminating...

Since recent immigrants tend to earn less than natives, their relative labor market status has been adversely impacted by an increase in the return to labor market skills and widening wage inequality over the past two decades. To evaluate the magnitude of this effect, this study uses Social...

Examines how technological change has affected the demand for skilled workers. Over the past twenty years, there has been a shift toward employment of skilled workers in Australia, as well as in many other industrialised economies. While it has sometimes been argued that the trend toward skilled...

The social consequences of restructuring can largely be understood in terms of the net employment impact and the imapct on government expenditures and revenues. When restructuring entails unemployment, government expenditure can mitigate the financial costs faced by those losing jobs at the...

This report examines the employment structure and structural change (1986-1999) of Vietnam, discusses Vietnam's labour market regulations and examines how Vietnam's labour markets could become more efficient. Vietnam’s labour policies remain focused on control of state enterprises: who they...

Mobility restrictions (e.g., severance payment, life-long tenure, and divorce ban) are widely observed. This paper is an attempt to understand why there are these restrictions. I present a model economy that features production teams and focuses on the search for partners and the formation and...

Identifies and quantifies restrictions affecting domestic and international trade in legal, accountancy, architectural and engineering services in more than 29 economies, including Australia. The paper also examines the price and cost effects of restrictions in engineering services.

This paper presents an analysis of self-employed contracting in Australia. The analysis covers all self-employed contractors, including dependent and independent contractors. The paper finds that self- employed contractors have become more common in Australia over the past 20 years. In August...