Joan Vipond

Youth Unemployment and Intergenerational Immobility

The personal and family characteristics of those teenage workers and unemployed teenagers who were living with one or both parents at the time of the 1981 census are described and analysed. The 1 per cent sample of household records released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics was the data source. Unemployment rates were much higher among teenagers of sole-parent families than among other teenagers. However, in the case of teenagers who lived with their mothers only, this could be attributed to their low family incomes rather than their family structures. Teenagers who lived with both parents also had high unemployment rates when family incomes were low. Among youth who lived with both parents, high unemployment probabilities were associated with parental disadvantages, even when the personal characteristics of the youth, such as their education levels, were controlled. It was concluded that unemployment distribution among 15- to 19-year-olds reflects intergenerational rigidities with respect to labour market status.

Housing and Poverty in Australia

In Australia, poverty is usually measured in two different ways; first according to the number of people who have incomes below a poverty line and, second, by the number who are in poverty after they have paid for their housing. This note calculates both measures for 1981/82 and analyses the changes that have occurred since the early 1970s. Poverty measured after housing has increased while poverty measured according to incomes alone is approximately the same as in the early 1970s. This note explores reasons, additional to trends in housing costs, for the change.

Housing costs and incomes: Which tenure contains the most stress?

Abstract Reviewing Australian conventional wisdom that the private rental sector is the most deprived tenure, this paper considers the issue of affordability (housing costs proportional to income). It reviews recent policies and trends in housing costs. New data indicate that over one-fifth of income units spend over 20 per cent of income on accommodation, with private tenants still relatively worst off.

PATTERNS IN PLANNING EDUCATION, 1997 TO 1999

R ecent reports of shortages of qualified planners have become a matter of considerable concern. Although such reports are mainly anecdotal, they have been very widespread and have been serious enough to cause discussion at the National Conference of the Royal Australian Planning Institute (RAPI) in Darwin in 1999. Shortages may arise from many sources, originating i n conditions of either supply or demand or both. It is impossible in a short paper to consider all aspects of this problem but, since the supply of new professionals comes mainly from accredited planning courses, it is worthwhile reviewing what is happening within universities as a first step to understanding the wider issue. The specific purpose of this report is to review recent statistics about the numbers of students in planning education throughout Australia, focussing mainly on students enrolled in planning courses accredited by RAPI and on how many complete their courses each year. Data will be disaggregated to the level of each state with the national totals being recorded for undergraduates and postgraduates. Figures will be shown for the ratio of women to men students. The level of participation of students from overseas in these courses will also be measured. Statistics which universities supply each year to the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs are the main source of information. As these are not published elsewhere, a key objective of this report is to provide them in a convenient form. RGURE I . B Y U W S HHI ADMKSION TO CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP OF IWI

Changes in poverty in Australia's mainland capital Cities

Since the early 1970s, poverty in Australia has increased but with marked regional differences. This paper describes the changes that occurred between 1972/73 and 1981/82 and suggests some possible explanations. The sensitivity of regional poverty estimates to variations in methods of measurement is also examined.