Indigenous Job Search Success

One important and under-researched aspect of labour market policy is the extent to which policy interventions are effective in modifying job search behaviour. Furthermore, there is little extant research on whether certain job search behaviours lead to labour market success. Our analysis uses the only existing largescale longitudinal survey of Indigenous Australians to examine the effects of job search behaviour over an 18-month period from March 1996. One major fi nding is that the introduction of the Job Search Diary during the survey period was effective in increasing search intensity—but this increase in intensity did not result in increased employment rates. Another finding is that the job search methods used were not generally related to the probability of fi nding and retaining employment when a range of other personal and regional factors are taken into account. Those with a greater level of search intensity (as measured by the number of jobs applied for) at the fi rst wave of the survey did have a signifi cantly higher probability of finding employment than those searching less intensely. However, search intensity is unrelated to the probability of job retention. Other factors, such as educational attainment, health status, region of residence and having been arrested, account for the majority of labour market success (or lack of it) among unemployed Indigenous job seekers.Job search; Indigenous; Labour market policy

Unpacking the income of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: wages, government payments and other income

Abstract: This paper compares the level and source of income for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians using data from the 2011 wave of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Three sources of income are considered: wages and salaries; government benefits; and income from businesses, investments and other private transfers. Consistent with many previous studies, Indigenous Australians have, on average, lower total income than non-Indigenous Australians, with this difference being largest for those who are full-time employed. The difference is also larger for males than females. In terms of non-wage income, Indigenous men and women receive a much smaller proportion of income from other sources than their non-Indigenous counterparts (primarily business and investment income). This is particularly the case for those who are not in the labour force (NILF). Correspondingly, government benefits constitute a higher proportion of income for the Indigenous population than for the non-Indigenous population. This is true for both males and females, and for all labour force statuses, although the difference is largest for part-time employed and those who are NILF. Given that Indigenous people are also more likely to be unemployed than non-Indigenous people, they are more likely to be dependent solely on government payments as a source of income at any one time. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as directions for future research

Footprints in time: the longitudinal study of Indigenous children: guide for the uninitiated

The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children is arguably a landmark for the development of an effective policy to address Indigenous disadvantage early in the life cycle. This paper highlights how the study might inform policy-makers by providing some historical context about the survey design and collection. The brief history of LSIC provides an extended rationale for the need for the data and directly reflects on the survey design and methodology. The paper includes an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of LSIC, with reference to a few selected variables that may be useful in potential research. Some useful research questions are identified that LSIC data may be used to address, and the authors reflect on growing research that is using LSIC data. The community engagement strategy has been integral key to maximising participation and retention rates, especially the use of Indigenous interviewers to elicit potentially sensitive information. The main constraint for analysing the study is the relatively small sample size, which limits the statistical power of the resulting analysis

The economic impact of the mining boom on Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

This paper examines changes in Indigenous employment, income and housing costs to identify any localised ‘resource curse’ for Indigenous communities and the Australian population at large. Abstract Until the global financial crisis reduced Australian economic growth in late 2008, Indigenous employment had been increasing in both absolute and relative terms for over a decade. The effect of the international economic contraction has been mitigated by Australia’s booming mining sector, largely due to China’s growing demand for resources. Given that a substantial number of mining operations are on or near Indigenous land, the increase in mining investment may have disproportionately affected Indigenous communities. There are concerns that, in remote mining areas, the increases in housing costs generated by the mining boom mean that anyone who does not work in the mining industry, particularly those who rely on government benefits, will find it harder to afford housing. Localised inflationary tendencies can also affect people employed outside the mining sector, but one would expect that scarcity in the labour market would drive up wages in both mining and non‑mining jobs. This paper examines changes in Indigenous employment, income and housing costs to identify any localised ‘resource curse’ for Indigenous communities and the Australian population at large. The paper draws on data from recent censuses, the geographic location of mines and mining investment to identify some potentially important effects of the mining boom on Indigenous communities. The main finding is that the mining boom has improved employment and income outcomes, but increased average housing costs. While the average increase in income has generally offset the increase in costs, there is some evidence that housing stress for low-income households has increased as a result of the mining boom

The economic and social benefits of increasing Indigenous employment

Using the latest available data and research, this paper provides estimates of the likely economic and social benefits of increasing Indigenous employment to the same level as in the non-Indigenous population. Introduction Relatively low rates of employment are one of the reasons for many of the poor economic and social outcomes experienced by Indigenous Australians. Increases in the rate of Indigenous employment would result in significant economic gains to the individuals who move into employment, and their families and communities, to the government who would receive higher tax revenues and have lower social security outlays, and the economy as a whole via the increases in the effective labour supply. The existing research also finds that there are health and social benefits that flow from paid employment. This paper, using the latest available data and research, provides estimates of the likely economic and social benefits of increasing Indigenous employment to the same level as in the non-Indigenous population (i.e. closing the employment gap). It was commissioned by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to help inform the work of the Indigenous Jobs and Training Review chaired by Andrew Forrest

Polyurethane spray coating of aluminum wire bonds to prevent corrosion and suppress resonant oscillations

Unencapsulated aluminum wedge wire bonds are common in particle physics pixel and strip detectors. Industry-favored bulk encapsulation is eschewed due to the range of operating temperatures and radiation. Wire bond failures are a persistent source of tracking-detector failure. Unencapsulated bonds are vulnerable to condensation-induced corrosion, particularly when halides are present. Oscillations from periodic Lorentz forces are documented as another source of wire bond failure. Spray application of polyurethane coatings, performance of polyurethane-coated wire bonds after climate chamber exposure, and resonant properties of polyurethane-coated wire bonds and their resistance to periodic Lorentz forces are under study for use in a future High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider detector such as the ATLAS Inner Tracker upgrade

Paleoecology of an Early Holocene Wetland on the Canadian Prairies

A plant macrofossil record from the glacial Lake Hind basin is used to reconstruct early postglacial wetland plant succession and paleohydrology. Between >10.6 and 9.1 ka BP, there are four plant assemblage zones: (1) an early (>10.6 ka BP) zone dominated by Cyperaceae and aquatics; (2) a subsequent zone (~10.6-10.1 ka BP) with emergents (Menyanthes trifoliata, Potentilla palustris, Scirpus validus) and fewer aquatic plants; (3) an interval between ~10.1 and 9.8 ka BP dominated by Drepanocladus aduncus; and (4) a zone between ~9.8 and 9.1 ka BP with Menyanthes trifoliata and Equisetum. These data indicate a gradual decline in water depth between 10.6 and 10.1 ka BP due to deepening of one or more outlets of glacial Lake Hind. From ~10.6 to 9.1 ka BP, the importance of Menyanthes records pronounced, seasonal, flooding. Furthermore, lack of evidence for complete drawdown and terrestrialization in the basin – despite local and regional evidence for postglacial warming – indicates that this wetland was minimally impacted by climate change up to at least 9.1 ka BP. Persistence of very wet conditions locally is consistent with recent results from south-central Saskatchewan, and may be due to release of meltwater from stagnant ice. However, frequent low-energy flooding of the basin by the Souris River is more plausible. In general, the apparent insensitivity of aquatic habitats to abrupt climate change in some locales on the Canadian Prairies demonstrates the potential long-term mitigating effects of local hydrological factors.L’analyse de macrofossiles de plantes dans la cuvette du Lac glaciaire Hind a servi à déterminer la paléohydrologie et la succession de plantes d’un milieu humide du début du Postglaciaire. Entre >10,6 et 9,1 ka BP, quatre zones d’assemblages se succèdent : (1) une première zone (>10,6 ka BP) dominée par les Cyperacées et les plantes aquatiques ; (2) une zone subséquente (~10,6-10,1 ka BP) caractérisée par quelques plantes émergentes (Menyanthes trifoliata, Potentilla palustris, Scirpus validus) et certaines plantes aquatiques ; (3) une troisième zone (~10,1-9,8 ka BP) dominée par Drepanocladus aduncus ; et (4) une dernière zone (~9,8-9,1 ka BP) composée de Menyanthes trifoliata et d’Equisetum. Selon les données, la profondeur d’eau de la cuvette du Lac glaciaire Hind a diminué de façon progressive entre 10,6 et 10,1 ka BP à la suite du surcreusement d’un ou de plusieurs de ses exutoires. De 10,6 à 9,1 ka BP, l’importance de Menyanthes témoigne d’importants débordements saisonniers des eaux. De plus, l'absence d’indices d’un assèchement total de la cuvette (malgré le réchauffement postglaciaire local et régional) indique que cette zone humide a résisté au changement climatique, au moins jusqu’à 9,1 ka BP. La persistance de conditions localement très humides concorde avec de récents résultats provenant du centre-sud de la Saskatchewan et pourrait être attribuable à la fonte de glace stagnante. Cependant, l'hypothèse de débordements fréquents mais modérés de la rivière Souris dans la cuvette est plus plausible. En général, l'apparente résistance, dans certains secteurs des Prairies, des habitats aquatiques aux changements climatiques brutaux démontre bien le potentiel à long terme des effets atténuants des facteurs hydrologiques locaux.El registro macrofósil vegetal de la cuenca del Lago glaciar Hind fue usado para reconstruir la sucesión vegetal y la paleohidrología de la zona húmeda. En un periodo situado hace unos 10 600 a 9100 años se distinguen cuatro zonas vegetales : la primera zona (hace mas de 10 600 años) dominada por Cyperaceae y acuáticas ; la segunda datando de aproximadamente unos 10 600 a 10 100 años, representada por plantas emergentes (Menyanthes trifoliata, Potentilla palustris, Scirpus validus) y unas pocas plantas acuáticas ; una tercera situada en el intervalo cubierto entre unos 10 100 y 9800 años, dominada por Drepanocladus aduncus; y la última que abarca el periodo comprendido entre unos 9800 y 9100 años, representada por Menyanthes trifoliata y Equisetum. Estos datos indican una disminución gradual de la profundidad del lago debido a la excavación de uno o varios de los afluentes del lago glaciar Hind y que la sitúa hace aproximadamente 10 600 a 10 100 años. Alrededor del periodo comprendido entre unos 10 600 y 9100 años, los registros obtenidos de Menyanthes reflejan episodios importantes y estacionales de inundaciones. Mas aun, la carencia de evidencia de un descenso del nivel y de la sedimentación de la cuenca – a pesar de la evidencia local y regional de calentamiento postglaciar – indica que esta zona húmeda fue poco perturbada por el cambio climático hasta hace menos de 9100 años. La persistencia de condiciones muy húmedas de la localidad concuerda con los resultados recientes de la zona centro-sur de Saskatchewan, y puede deberse a la liberación del agua de fusión proveniente del hielo estancado. Sin embargo, es mas probable que se trate de las inundaciones frecuentes de baja energía que ocurrieron en la cuenca provocadas por el Souris River. En general, la aparente resistencia de los ambientes acuáticos frente a cambios abruptos del clima en algunas localidades de la Praderas canadienses demuestra el potencial a largo plazo del efecto atenuante de los factores hídricos locales