Indigenous Labour Supply following a Period of Strong Economic Growth

Abstract

This paper provides evidence on changes in the labour force status of Indigenous and other Australians since the mid-1990s, a period of strong macroeconomic growth. The paper expands the standard definitions of labour supply to consider marginally attached workers – people who want to work but who are not currently looking for work. The results suggest that while education is still one of the most important factors, future progress in increasing Indigenous employment requires policy address labour supply issues that discourage people from looking for work, including the ongoing high level of Indigenous interaction with the criminal justice system.