Labour markets and wages in Australia 2010

In this article we present data on earnings and hours in 2010 and, using data over a longer time frame, show how the character of the Australian labour market has significantly changed in recent decades. Among other things, we demonstrate a continued shift towards part-time work and, across full-time and part-time labour markets, a change in the distribution of jobs towards more highly skilled occupations. We continue to argue that traditional indicators of labour-market activity, such as headline unemployment and earnings in full-time employment, are only able to partially explain the health of the labour market. There is an urgent need to better understand other dimensions such as underemployment, part-time employment and part-time earnings

Chronic disease prevalence and care among the elderly in urban and rural Beijing, China - a 10/66 Dementia Research Group cross-sectional survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Demographic ageing is occurring at an unprecedented rate in China. Chronic diseases and their disabling consequences will become much more common. Public policy has a strong urban bias, and older people living in rural areas may be especially vulnerable due to limited access to good quality healthcare, and low pension coverage. We aim to compare the sociodemographic and health characteristics, health service utilization, needs for care and informal care arrangements of representative samples of older people in two Beijing communities, urban Xicheng and rural Daxing.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A one-phase cross-sectional survey of all those aged 65 years and over was conducted in urban and rural catchment areas in Beijing, China. Assessments included questionnaires, a clinical interview, physical examination, and an informant interview. Prevalence of chronic diseases, self-reported impairments and risk behaviours was calculated adjusting for household clustering. Poisson working models were used to estimate the independent effect of rural versus urban residence, and to explore the predictors of health services utilization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We interviewed 1002 participants in rural Daxing, and 1160 in urban Xicheng. Those in Daxing were more likely to be younger, widowed, less educated, not receiving a pension, and reliant on family transfers. Chronic diseases were more common in Xicheng, when based on self-report rather than clinical assessment. Risk exposures were more common in Daxing. Rural older people were much less likely to access health services, controlling for age and health. Community health services were ineffective, particularly in Daxing, where fewer than 3% of those with hypertension were adequately controlled. In Daxing, care was provided by family, who had often given up work to do so. In Xicheng, 45% of those needing care were supported by paid caregivers. Caregiver strain was higher in Xicheng. Dementia was strongly associated with care needs and caregiver strain, but not with medical helpseeking.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Apparent better health in Daxing might be explained by under-diagnosis, under-reporting or selective mortality. Far-reaching structural reforms may be needed to improve access and strengthen rural healthcare. The impact of social and economic change is already apparent in Xicheng, with important implications for future long-term care.</p

Measuring the Costs of Living of Australian Families

Arguments about the construction and application of equivalence scales have been a constant feature of the income security debate in Australia over the past decade. Ian Manning has written this monograph to provide a review of the attempts to derive equivalence scales from Australian data, and to try to indicate some directions for future work. In his words, An equivalence scale gives an estimate of the relative income required, on average, for households with different characteristics to attain the same standard of living. As such it is a precise estimate of a somewhat hazy concept, and the merits and accuracy of different equivalence scales are therefore necessarily contested. Indeed, some would say that the methodological problems in deriving a widely-accepted equivalence scale are so serious that the concept should be abandoned, but unfortunately it will not go away; the concept is fundamental to the measurement of economic inequality, and it also lies at the basis of the table of social security rates

Diary of Social Legislation and Policy 1983

This Diary summarises the legislative and administrative changes made in the social policy field during 1983 by the Commonwealth government and by some of the State governments. It provides a ready reference for research workers, and can also be used as a succinct and factual account of policy during the year.In addition to Commonwealth legislation and events, this Diary attempts to cover the main policy changes at State level in the fields of social security and welfare however it has not been possible to obtain complete coverage for all fields and all States

Diary of Social Legislation and Policy 1981

This Diary summarises the legislative and administrative changes made in the social policy field during 1981 by the Commonwealth government, and to a lesser extent by the State governments. It provides a ready reference for research workers, and can also be used as a succinct and factual account of policy during the year.Unlike its predecessors, this Diary attempts to cover the main policy changes at a State level in the social policy field. It was not possible to obtain complete coverage for all fields and all States, but it was decided to publish those summaries which were obtained, on the grounds that a beginning must be made. This Diary covers the main areas of social policy apart from education. However, it makes no mention of general economic policy or political events. For these the reader is referred to the 'Diary of Recent Economic Events and policy statements' included in each issue of the Australian Economic Review, to the Diary of Political Events in each issue of Australian Quarterly, and to the 'Broadcasting Chronology' included since 1981 in Media Information Australia