15 research outputs found

    A re-appraisal of the fertility response to the Australian baby bonus

    Get PDF
    The Australian baby bonus offering parents 3,000onthebirthofanewchildwasannouncedonMay112004.Theavailabilityoffiveyearsofbirthdatafollowingtheintroductionofthebabybonusallowsforamorecomprehensiveanalysisofthepolicyimplicationsthaniscurrentintheliterature.ThefocusofthispaperistoidentifyifthereisapositivefertilitychoiceresponsetotheintroductionoftheAustralianbabybonuspolicyandifthisresponseissustainedovertime.Todothis19yearsofbirthandmacroeconomicdata,beginning1990,isanalysedusinganunobservablecomponentsmodel.Theresultsindicateasignificantincreaseinbirthnumberstenmonthsfollowingtheannouncementofthebabybonus,andthisoverallincreasewassustaineduptotheendoftheobservedperiod.AcumulativegrowthinbirthnumberswhichcommencedinJanuary2006slowsin2008and2009.Itissuggestedthattheinitialincreaseinbirths,identifiedinMarch2005,isadirectfertilityresponsetotheintroductionofthepolicyandthatthesubsequentchangeinthegrowthofbirthnumbersmaybetheresultofadelayedeffectworkingthroughanumberofchannels.Itisestimatedthatapproximately119,000birthsareattributabletothebabybonusovertheperiod,atanapproximatecostof3,000 on the birth of a new child was announced on May 11 2004. The availability of five years of birth data following the introduction of the baby bonus allows for a more comprehensive analysis of the policy implications than is current in the literature. The focus of this paper is to identify if there is a positive fertility choice response to the introduction of the Australian baby bonus policy and if this response is sustained over time. To do this 19 years of birth and macroeconomic data, beginning 1990, is analysed using an unobservable components model. The results indicate a significant increase in birth numbers ten months following the announcement of the baby bonus, and this overall increase was sustained up to the end of the observed period. A cumulative growth in birth numbers which commenced in January 2006 slows in 2008 and 2009. It is suggested that the initial increase in births, identified in March 2005, is a direct fertility response to the introduction of the policy and that the subsequent change in the growth of birth numbers may be the result of a delayed effect working through a number of channels. It is estimated that approximately 119,000 births are attributable to the baby bonus over the period, at an approximate cost of 39000 per extra child.Fertility Rate, Time Series, baby bonus

    A Conceptual Model to study the Diffusion of the Internet in Vietnam

    Get PDF
    This paper discusses the application of structuration theory in understanding the complex Internet innovation phenomenon in a developing country. It provides references to earlier studies on IS innovation and discusses two controversial perspectives on technological determinism and social constructivism. Through a review of existing IS literature on structuration theory a new direction is proposed to investigate one of the 20th century’s major technological innovations, the Internet. A conceptual model and an analytical framework for studying the complex interactions between institutional structures and Internet innovation patterns in developing countries are presented. The most appropriate research methodology to study Internet innovation in Vietnam is articulated and discussed

    A re-appraisal of the fertility response to the Australian baby bonus

    Get PDF
    The Australian baby bonus offering parents 3,000onthebirthofanewchildwasannouncedonMay112004.Theavailabilityoffiveyearsofbirthdatafollowingtheintroductionofthebabybonusallowsforamorecomprehensiveanalysisofthepolicyimplicationsthaniscurrentintheliterature.ThefocusofthispaperistoidentifyifthereisapositivefertilitychoiceresponsetotheintroductionoftheAustralianbabybonuspolicyandifthisresponseissustainedovertime.Todothis19yearsofbirthandmacroeconomicdata,beginning1990,isanalysedusinganunobservablecomponentsmodel.Theresultsindicateasignificantincreaseinbirthnumberstenmonthsfollowingtheannouncementofthebabybonus,andthisoverallincreasewassustaineduptotheendoftheobservedperiod.AcumulativegrowthinbirthnumberswhichcommencedinJanuary2006slowsin2008and2009.Itissuggestedthattheinitialincreaseinbirths,identifiedinMarch2005,isadirectfertilityresponsetotheintroductionofthepolicyandthatthesubsequentchangeinthegrowthofbirthnumbersmaybetheresultofadelayedeffectworkingthroughanumberofchannels.Itisestimatedthatapproximately119,000birthsareattributabletothebabybonusovertheperiod,atanapproximatecostof3,000 on the birth of a new child was announced on May 11 2004. The availability of five years of birth data following the introduction of the baby bonus allows for a more comprehensive analysis of the policy implications than is current in the literature. The focus of this paper is to identify if there is a positive fertility choice response to the introduction of the Australian baby bonus policy and if this response is sustained over time. To do this 19 years of birth and macroeconomic data, beginning 1990, is analysed using an unobservable components model. The results indicate a significant increase in birth numbers ten months following the announcement of the baby bonus, and this overall increase was sustained up to the end of the observed period. A cumulative growth in birth numbers which commenced in January 2006 slows in 2008 and 2009. It is suggested that the initial increase in births, identified in March 2005, is a direct fertility response to the introduction of the policy and that the subsequent change in the growth of birth numbers may be the result of a delayed effect working through a number of channels. It is estimated that approximately 119,000 births are attributable to the baby bonus over the period, at an approximate cost of 39000 per extra child

    A re-appraisal of the fertility response to the Australian baby bonus

    Get PDF
    The Australian baby bonus offering parents 3,000onthebirthofanewchildwasannouncedonMay112004.Theavailabilityoffiveyearsofbirthdatafollowingtheintroductionofthebabybonusallowsforamorecomprehensiveanalysisofthepolicyimplicationsthaniscurrentintheliterature.ThefocusofthispaperistoidentifyifthereisapositivefertilitychoiceresponsetotheintroductionoftheAustralianbabybonuspolicyandifthisresponseissustainedovertime.Todothis19yearsofbirthandmacroeconomicdata,beginning1990,isanalysedusinganunobservablecomponentsmodel.Theresultsindicateasignificantincreaseinbirthnumberstenmonthsfollowingtheannouncementofthebabybonus,andthisoverallincreasewassustaineduptotheendoftheobservedperiod.AcumulativegrowthinbirthnumberswhichcommencedinJanuary2006slowsin2008and2009.Itissuggestedthattheinitialincreaseinbirths,identifiedinMarch2005,isadirectfertilityresponsetotheintroductionofthepolicyandthatthesubsequentchangeinthegrowthofbirthnumbersmaybetheresultofadelayedeffectworkingthroughanumberofchannels.Itisestimatedthatapproximately119,000birthsareattributabletothebabybonusovertheperiod,atanapproximatecostof3,000 on the birth of a new child was announced on May 11 2004. The availability of five years of birth data following the introduction of the baby bonus allows for a more comprehensive analysis of the policy implications than is current in the literature. The focus of this paper is to identify if there is a positive fertility choice response to the introduction of the Australian baby bonus policy and if this response is sustained over time. To do this 19 years of birth and macroeconomic data, beginning 1990, is analysed using an unobservable components model. The results indicate a significant increase in birth numbers ten months following the announcement of the baby bonus, and this overall increase was sustained up to the end of the observed period. A cumulative growth in birth numbers which commenced in January 2006 slows in 2008 and 2009. It is suggested that the initial increase in births, identified in March 2005, is a direct fertility response to the introduction of the policy and that the subsequent change in the growth of birth numbers may be the result of a delayed effect working through a number of channels. It is estimated that approximately 119,000 births are attributable to the baby bonus over the period, at an approximate cost of 39000 per extra child

    Is the fertility response to the Australian baby bonus heterogeneous across maternal age? Evidence from Victoria.

    Get PDF
    The Australian baby bonus, offering parents $3,000 on the birth of a child, was announced on May 11 2004. The focus of this paper is to analyse the response to the policy across maternal age levels in order to separate policy effects from prevailing demographic trends such as recuperation of previously postponed births. Using multivariate time series analysis, we find that all age groups except teenagers show a positive fertility response to the policy. The results suggest that the policy may have elicited fertility behaviour change, evidenced by a higher cumulative growth in fertility of maternal age groups 20-24 and 24-30 which is sustained past 2008 even as a growth in birth ratios of older age groups was stabilising. A short term birth timing effect was also estimated to further explore the extent to which incentives matter for decisions around family formation

    Is the fertility response to the Australian baby bonus heterogeneous across maternal age? Evidence from Victoria.

    Get PDF
    The Australian baby bonus, offering parents $3,000 on the birth of a child, was announced on May 11 2004. The focus of this paper is to analyse the response to the policy across maternal age levels in order to separate policy effects from prevailing demographic trends such as recuperation of previously postponed births. Using multivariate time series analysis, we find that all age groups except teenagers show a positive fertility response to the policy. The results suggest that the policy may have elicited fertility behaviour change, evidenced by a higher cumulative growth in fertility of maternal age groups 20-24 and 24-30 which is sustained past 2008 even as a growth in birth ratios of older age groups was stabilising. A short term birth timing effect was also estimated to further explore the extent to which incentives matter for decisions around family formation

    Does innovation in residential mortgage products explain rising house prices? No.

    Get PDF
    Like many consumer products, household mortgages have experienced significant innovation in recent decades, with mortgages becoming cheaper, more accessible, and with more features. Many observers have expected that this would increase demand for houses, contributing to a rise in house prices. We investigate this relation, both in terms the extent and timing of innovation in residential mortgage products, and then we critically assess whether there is a link with Melbourne Metropolitan house prices (post 1980). Our conclusion is surprising: we find no apparent evidence of a relationship between residential mortgage innovation and house prices

    The Economics of Alcohol Addiction

    No full text
    This paper considers issues relating to alcohol addiction from an economic perspective. While alcohol consumption may be associated with dependency, it is not clear how addiction should be interpreted in the framework of consumer theory. The paper presents several economic models of addictive behaviour and identifies their deficiencies in explaining addiction to alcohol The degree of a person's involvement in heavy alcohol consumption is shown to have multiple interacting determinants. Behaviour which is viewed as optimal at one stage of the lifecycle may change the households future production possibilities in terms of costs and human capital stocks in a way that does make an individual better off by following an addictive consumption path, given these constraints. However, at the same time, the same person may regret past choices. This paper represents the first step in developing an economic model of alcohol consumption that can help explain drinking behaviour over the lifecycle as an accumulation of choices, subject to constraints
    corecore