When measuring poverty, an equivalence scale is used to take account of the different income needs of different family types. However, there is little consensus about the choice of scale. A method is presented here that permits general statements about changes in poverty to be made which will be...

Models of household consumption used to estimate the relative needs of people living in different family types need to take account of economies of household size, price-like substitution effects and the allocation of consumption among the individuals of the household. No existing estimation...

Microsimulation methods are used to estimate the impact of changing Australian participation and unemployment rates on the level and distribution of family disposable incomes between 1981-82 and 1988-89. Between 1983-84 and 1988-89, a fall in unemployment and an increase in the labor-force...

Australian research on poverty and income distribution has been subject to criticism over definitional, data quality and measurement issues that have undermined its validity and impact. In reviewing these issues, this paper addresses some of the problems that have been identified in the...

This study of the emergence of inequality during the early years is based upon a comparative analysis of children at the age of about five years in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. We study a series of child outcomes related to readiness to learn, focusing on...

Young mothers are one of the most disadvantaged groups in Australian society. This paper documents this disadvantage and shows how the relative disadvantage of young mothers has increased over time. Almost all teenage mothers and most mothers in their early 20s are reliant upon income support...

Looks at the pre- and post-tax wage distribution of prime age males in six countries, focusing on Australia. Analysis includes an examination of the impact of income taxes and employer and employee contributions on the wage distribution.