The Characteristics of Jobless Households in Australia: Evidence from Wave 1 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (hilda) Survey

An emerging trend in Australia, over the past twenty or so years, has been for any available employment to become increasingly polarised into households where either no adult is working (jobless households), or all adults are working (all-work households). Indeed studies have shown that Australia has one of the highest jobless household rates in the OECD for families with children. This paper uses the first wave of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics Survey for Australia (HILDA) to examine the characteristics of jobless households in Australia that distinguish them from others and render them disadvantaged in the labour market. Particular issues examined include household structure, family background, marital history, housing education, employment history, current labour market status, job search and income and financial wellbeing.