Overview of Research from the 2005-2009 and 2010 Social Policy Research Services (SPRS) Contract

The Melbourne Institute has produced a set of eight information sheets aimed at covering all 41 reports produced under the 2005-2009 and 2010 SPRS Contract. The thematic approach highlights the contributions on a range of topics. Such an overview will facilitate the choice of areas for further research, and reveal areas which have received relatively little attention.

The themes are the following:

• Dynamics of income support/employment
• Transitions
• Stepping stones/pathways
• Education/training
• Health and disability
• Youth
• Older Australians
• Outcomes for women

Each information sheet contains an overview table summarising the results on the relevant theme(presented in an Appendix) combined with a discussion of these results, highlighting and explaining if necessary consistencies/inconsistencies of results. Each information sheet also contains in dotpoint form the contributions of the Melbourne Institute projects to knowledge on the topic and canvasses possible policy implications. A reference list to all relevant reports is also included.

A few examples of key findings from the eight information sheets are:

• Education and training are important for everyone at every age.
• Early school‐leaving can be remedied through subsequent, considered, re‐engagement.
• Despite difficulties in obtaining employment, having a disability is not equivalent to being out of the labour force. Education for example can work as a protective factor.
• Any work is better than the alternative of unemployment when wishing to obtain higherquality work in the future (that is stepping‐stone effects appear to exist).
• Parental leave and flexible hours appear important in retaining women in the labour market after childbirth.

  
  List of projects with the relevant theme numbers in parentheses ([..])

  
  Projects commenced in 2010
  1/10 The Effects of Childcare on Child Development [6, 8]
  2/10 Second Chance Education: Re‐Engagement in Education of Early School Leavers [4, 6]
  3/10 Activation and Welfare Dependency [1, 2]
  4/10 Employment Retention in an Economic Downturn [1, 2]
  5/10 Dynamics of Mature Age Workforce Participation: Policy Effects and Continuing Trends [7]

  
  Projects commenced in 2009
  1/09 Transitions of Income Support Recipients with Incapacity Exemptions [2, 5]
  2/09 Impact of Education and Training on Income Support Recipients [4]
  3/09 Successful and Unsuccessful Pathways to Employment [1, 2]
  4/09 The Re‐engagement in Education of Early School Leavers [4, 6]

  
  Projects commenced in 2008
  1/08 The education and employment outcomes of youth in school‐to‐work transition [2, 6]
  2/08 Wage transitions of apprentices [3, 4, 6]
  3/08 Location economics of income support recipients ‐ extension project [1]
  4/08 Combining income support and earnings [2]
  5/08 Mental health of the Australian working population [5]
  6/08 Experience of income support recipients with a mental illness [5]
  7/08 Dynamics of household joblessness in Australia 2001‐2006 [1]

  
  Projects commenced in 2007
  1/07 Incidence of work related injury and illness and outcomes for specific groups of workers [5]
  2/07 Intergenerational correlation of labour market outcomes [1, 4]
  3/07 Factors affecting the wage progression of the low paid [1, 3, 5]
  5/07 What determines how long women spend out of the labour force after the birth of a child [8]
  6/07 Full time work and sole parents [3,8]
  7/07 Teenage mothers' income support, education and paid work [1, 6, 8]
  8/07 Human Capital and the Patterns of Employment and Welfare Receipt [1, 2, 4, 5]
  9/07 Pathways to higher pay [3]

  
  Projects commenced in 2006
  1/06 Use of informal childcare and decisions on work by income support recipients [8]
  2/06 Stepping stones ‐ do low paid jobs lead to increased earnings and lower welfare dependency
  over time? [3]
  3/06 Disability and employment in the Australian labour market [5]
  4/06 Mature age employment and workplace strategy [7]
  5/06 Location economics of income support recipients [1]
  6/06 Skill shortages and the absence of wage pressures [4]
  7/06 Working credits ‐ a low cost alternative to universal income tax credits? [1]
  8/06 Link between changes in employment and changes in income support [1, 2]

  
  Projects commenced in 2005
  1/05 Income support reliance in Australia [1]
  2/05 Previous income support experience of people granted DSP [1]
  3/05 An examination of welfare transitions using the first three waves of the HILDA Survey [1, 2]
  4/05 The dynamics of jobless households: using waves 1‐3 to assess causes and consequences of
  persistent joblessness [1]
  5/05 Labour force outcomes for the mature age population [7]
  7/05 The dynamics of income support receipt among 'new' income support customers [1]
  8/05 Income support spells initiated by unemployment: Commonalities and heterogeneities
  across population groups in duration and determination of duration [1]
  9/05 Transitions from casual employment in Australia [2, 3]