Indigenous job search success

Date

2005

Authors

Gray, Matthew
Hunter, Boyd

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Canberra, ACT : Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), The Australian National University

Abstract

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 finding 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 finding 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 first wave of the survey did have a significantly 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.

Description

Keywords

job search behaviour, labour market success, Indigenous job seekers, Job Search Diary

Citation

Source

Type

Working/Technical Paper

Book Title

Entity type

Access Statement

Open Access

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Restricted until

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