Parvinder Kler

I'm Too Clever for this Job: A Bivariate Probit Analysis on Overeducation and Job Satisfaction in Australia

Using data from the first wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia data set, this article establishes an empirical relationship between overeducation and workplace satisfaction for Australian adult males in the labour force. In a departure from much of the existing literature, both univariate and bivariate probit models are used to account for potential unobserved heterogeneity. We find that estimates in the univariate probit models are positively biased for three of the six measures of workplace satisfaction studied. This suggests that consideration should be given to the use of bivariate models when studying the determinants of workplace satisfaction and overeducation. Results show, although levels of satisfaction remain high, that across all measures of workplace satisfaction overeducated workers are less satisfied compared to their nonovereducated counterparts. This intimates that satisfaction levels should be viewed from a relative, rather than an absolute perspective. ‘Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work’ Aristotle 384BC–322BC

A panel data investigation into over‐education among tertiary educated Australian immigrants

Purpose - To investigate the extent of over-education for recently arrived tertiary educated male immigrants in order to ascertain if higher educated immigrants face assimilation hurdles in the Australian labour market. Design/methodology/approach - Using immigrant longitudinal data (LSIA), this paper uses the job analysis/objective method of defining over-education. Also, bivariate probits are used to account for selectivity into employment when studying the determinants of graduate over-education. The over, required and under-education (ORU) earnings function is utilised to find the rates of return to education investment. Findings - It is found that English speaking background (ESB) immigrants to have similar rates of over-education compared to the native born, while only Asian non-English speaking background (NESB) immigrants see a rise in over-education after tighter immigration and welfare policies were introduced. Returns to required schooling are substantial, but the penalty for excess years of schooling is large, though consistent with the stylised facts of over-education. Research limitations/implications - Short time-frame (up to five years) only allows for an investigation of initial assimilation. Originality/value - Using panel data, this paper is the first to study the initial phase of highly educated immigrant assimilation into the Australian labour market from the viewpoint of job matching rather than just employment.

Are women really that happy at work? Australian evidence on the 'contented female'

This article investigates the apparent paradox of females possessing higher levels of job satisfaction compared to their male counterparts despite possessing worse employment outcomes. Postulating that the female workforce is heterogeneous by age, education and the presence of children, we create four groups; the aggregated, young and childless, young with children and the educated. The article finds statistical evidence of significant gender differences, though not uniformly so. Econometric results, however, paint a muddier picture, indicating that statistical results alone should not be used to categorically report incidences of gender differences in job satisfaction. Sample-selection bias results also evince sub-group heterogeneity and require further study. The determinants of job satisfaction vary between measures and sub-groups, though not necessarily so across gender. In sum, the article finds that the paradox does exhibit itself for the aggregated and young and childless sub-groups, but is largely absent for the young with children group. As well, there is a clear bifurcation in job satisfaction between genders for the educated sub-group. This suggests that employed females should not be viewed as a monolithic bloc in the labour force.

Immigrant occupational mobility in Australia

This research note takes an occupational attainment approach to examining the economic assimilation of immigrants in Australia. This approach differs from much of the existing literature, which tends to examine economic assimilation by looking at levels of (un)employment or wages. Focusing on occupational attainment is useful, in that disadvantage in the labour market is not limited to employment status and earnings, and an individual’s occupation may provide a broader signal of their economic and social well-being. Findings indicate that, on arrival, immigrants from a non-English speaking background face significant disadvantage in occupational attainment, particularly those from Asian countries. There is also evidence to suggest that those who arrive later in life, or are from an Asian non-English speaking background, are the least likely to assimilate over time. Results are indicative of the need for policies to better integrate immigrants from more diverse cultures and societies into the Australian labour market.

Immigrant job satisfaction : the Australian experience

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to study the level of job satisfaction among Australian immigrants relative to the native-born over time as a measure of their labour market assimilation. Design/methodology/approach - – Using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia panel data set, six measures of job satisfaction are tested using the random effects Generalised Least Squares method with a Mundlak correction. Labour market assimilation is defined by “years since arrival” and also via cohort effects. Findings - – The authors find statistical evidence of general job dissatisfaction amongst immigrants in Australia relative to the native-born, driven mainly by non-English Speaking Background (NESB) immigrants, though this dissipates for long-term immigrants, irrespective of English Speaking Background (ESB) or NESB status. Econometric results strengthen these results though improvements over time are only strongly evident for NESB immigrants, whilst results for ESB immigrants remain mixed, and is dependent on the definition of “assimilation”. Originality/value - – This paper extends the immigrant labour market assimilation literature by introducing job satisfaction as a measure of assimilation.

The power of the pram: do young children determine female job satisfaction?

Policy-makers worldwide have attempted a number of strategies over the last few decades to increase female labour-force participation without jeopardizing their choice of also maintaining a fulfilling family life, should they choose to do so. One such Australian strategy heavily subscribed by females with young children has been to promote part-time employment. Results provide evidence that females with young children at home engaged in part-time employment are generally more satisfied with their working hours and work–life balance relative to those with older and no children, whilst the opposite holds when looking at those in full-time employment. This suggests that part-time employment should be pursued as a policy tool to aid females with young children maintain a relationship with the labour market without having to also give up being the primary carer of their children.

Underemployment in Australia: a panel investigation

ABSTRACT This 2001–2013 panel study finds 33% of part-time employees to be underemployed, disproportionately affecting males, immigrants, youth, the blue-collared and new to our study, those on casual contracts. Within the underemployed sample, we report that the gap between preferred and actual hours (working hour tension) also varies by personal and labour characteristics, largely consistent with that found for the determinants of underemployment. The continued growth of part-time employment and casualization in recent years has been more pronounced among males, raising their rates of underemployment as they disproportionately prefer to work more hours vis-à-vis their part-time female peers.

The spillover of war in time and space: exploring some open issues

ABSTRACT In spite of a voluminous empirical literature, the diffusion of civil war in time and space is still not fully understood and several issues remain open for debate. This article sheds new light on some of these issues. First, we assess the robustness of results to changes in the definition of neighbourhood (spatial dimension) and in the lag structure (temporal dimension). Second, we investigate the factors that determine the strength of civil war diffusion, focusing in particular on (i) the type of war (e.g. its intensity and scope), (ii) the quality of domestic polity, and (iii) interaction opportunities (e.g. ethnic ties and refugee flows). Third, we look at how the occurrence of war in a neighbouring country affects the duration (and not just the onset) of domestic civil war.

Dynamic spatial panel estimates of war contagion

We estimate the temporal, spatial and “spatio†temporal†effects of war using a dynamic spatial panel model. Our argument is that it is important to account for both the space and temporal lags concurrently, while instead the existing literature largely tends to focus on one or the other. Key findings are as follows: first, there is evidence that both temporal and spatial effects significantly impact upon the duration of war. Second, we also find that the combined “spatio†temporal†interaction effect is significant only when excluding contemporaneous spatial lag effect. Third, while stronger for high†intensity conflict, spatial and temporal effects remain significant also for low†intensity conflict. Fourth, the spatial effect is stronger in magnitude for interstate wars. Our results point to the importance of regional co†operation for conflict prevention and peace stabilisation.

The assimilation of Australian immigrants: does occupation matter?

ABSTRACT This paper utilises the occupational attainment approach to investigate immigrant labour market assimilation, complementing other assimilation approaches such as employability, earnings, skills-match and job satisfaction. Our results show that all immigrant groups suffer from initial occupational attainment disadvantage. Worryingly, no ‘catch-up’ over time is evident – even when disaggregated to reflect different cultures and backgrounds. Nor is there much evidence that the occupational status of younger arrivals matches those of Australian born residents, despite being immersed in local mores and institutions while undertaking schooling in Australia. Newer cohorts of immigrants (those who arrived between 2000 and 2014) are also more prone to suffering an occupational penalty. We recommend policymakers subsidise bridging courses to aid recognition of overseas-obtained qualifications and encourage immigrants to obtain local qualifications that can complement their overseas-obtained work experience. This will increase their ‘Australian-ready’ skill-set and occupational attainment in their new host country.