Although the term drought is widely used, defining it is conceptually and technically difficult and there is no generally accepted definition. This article uses data from an Australian social survey of people living in agricultural areas to test the validity of using general social surveys to...

Carers have, on average, a more tenuous and weaker attachment to the labour market than non-carers because they face a complex set of demands on their time and must balance the needs of other people. Accordingly, it is plausible that regional shocks from droughts may adversely affect carers...

Australia is indeed a sunburnt country, and is arguably becoming increasingly sunburnt. If most climate predictions are correct, much of Australia will experience droughts even more often. This paper uses the Rural and Regional Families Survey to explore the economic and financial implications...