RDP 2010-04: Employment Composition: A Study of Australian Employment Growth, 2002–2006 Appendix A: Variable Definitions

Jeremy Lawson and Crystal Ossolinski

June 2010

Table A1: Information Regarding the Variables Used
Dependent variable
Labour force status Definitions used are the same as for the Labour Force Survey, ABS Cat No 6202.0. Measured at the time of the survey.
Explanatory variables
For each category listed below there are several potential characteristics. In the regressions we include a dummy variable for each possibility, which will take the value of 1 if the individual exhibits that characteristic and 0 otherwise. For a list of variables see Tables B1 and B2.
Household income (excluding individual labour income) quintile Annual gross household income excluding the individual's labour income but including the partner's (and other family members') labour income as in Belkar et al (2007). It is also used as the denominator in the debt-to-income ratio.
Occupation Based on one-digit ASCO classifications. Associate professionals includes associate professionals, intermediate services workers and clerical workers. Unskilled includes elementary clerical, unskilled clerical and unskilled labour. The occupation of not-employed individuals is that of their most recent job.
Father's occupation Uses the same classification as for the individual's occupation. Refers to the occupation of the father when the individual was 14 years of age.
Family type based on age of child Classifies all individuals into a family type first based on whether they have a partner or are single and then by the age of their own youngest resident child (in years). A separate variable is also included to capture non-resident children under the age of 18 years.
City variables Capital cities; major cities; and rural. Major cities includes all major cities and inner regional areas based on ARIA scores from the 2001 Census. Rural is outside of capital or major cities.
Net worth Household assets less household debt.
Migrant status An individual is either born in Australia; born in a non-English-speaking country; or born in an English-speaking country.
Mother's employment status Mother's employment status (employed or not employed) when the individual was 14 years of age.
Student status Three categories are included: full-time student; finished studies within the previous two years; and other. This last category is referred to in Tables 1 and 2A–C as ‘not-student’ but includes part-time students.
Time in work in previous year Measures the proportion of the previous financial year that the individual spent in employment. This measure does not overlap in time with current employment status.
Health condition ‘Has health condition’ are those who have a long-term health condition, disability or impairment.