Denise Doiron - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Denise Doiron

Journal of Econometrics, Jul 1, 2008

The finding of strong duration dependence in explaining the length of unemployment spells has inf... more The finding of strong duration dependence in explaining the length of unemployment spells has influenced the design of many labor market policy reforms. However very little work has been done on more complex effects of labor market experiences and in particular on the causal effects of past outcomes involving other labor force states. In this paper we use longitudinal data to investigate the extent of state dependence in labor market outcomes for young Australians. The econometric model estimates the effects of past outcomes in three labor force states, employment, unemployment and out of the labor force, on current transitions between any two states allowing for observed and unobserved heterogeneity. Our findings suggest strong state dependence in all three states and we use the estimates to simulate various policy experiments.

Social Science Research Network, 2012

We analyse stated preference data over nursing jobs collected from two different discrete choice ... more We analyse stated preference data over nursing jobs collected from two different discrete choice experiments: a multi-profile case best-worst scaling experiment (BWS) prompting selection of the best and worst among alternative jobs, and a profile case BWS wherein the respondents choose the best and worst job attributes. The latter allows identification of additional utility parameters and is believed to be cognitively easier. Results suggest that respondents place greater value on pecuniary over non-pecuniary gains in the multi-profile case. There is little evidence that this discrepancy is induced by the extra cognitive burden of processing several profiles at once in the multi-profile case. We offer thoughts on other likely mechanisms.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, Apr 1, 2004

Demands for formal and informal childcare are estimated using a bivariate Tobit model. Predicted ... more Demands for formal and informal childcare are estimated using a bivariate Tobit model. Predicted costs of childcare are incorporated in the households' budget constraint and a discrete choice labour supply model is estimated. Separate models are estimated for couples and lone parents. Increases in the prices and costs of childcare lead to reductions in labour supply for lone parents and partnered mothers. Results suggest the average elasticities in Australia are closer to those found in the U.K. and are smaller than the estimates for Canada and the US. Effects are stronger for single parents and mothers facing low wages.

Social Science Research Network, Jun 1, 2007

There is a long-standing but still growing literature on the relationship between private health ... more There is a long-standing but still growing literature on the relationship between private health insurance (PHI) and utilization of the health system. The results generally support the hypothesis that insurance coverage increases health care usage although the quantitative results do vary greatly across studies. Unlike the RAND experiment, most available data sets in the area are non-experimental and researchers must deal with the problem of endogeneity in that one expects individuals with unobserved characteristics causing bad health outcomes to be more likely to purchase insurance and to utilize the health care system. The novelty of the approach in this study lies in the use of information on the partner's health as an instrument for one's insurance coverage on the assumption that a partner's health will affect one's insurance purchase but not directly influence one's own hospital utilization. Australian data are used in the study. Several features of the PHI market in Australia make it particularly relevant for analyzing the demand for insurance; and modeling health insurance purchase in Australia is more straightforward than in most other countries. Previous Australian studies have shown a positive relationship between insurance and hospital utilization. Using instrumental variable techniques, this research provides a more robust estimate of the causal effect of insurance on health care use. We use data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Health insurance takes the form of supplementary insurance for hospital cover and utilization is measured by hospital admission. Although HILDA is a panel data set, information on health insurance and hospital utilization is only available in wave 4 of the survey. Hence we are restricted to the use of cross-section variation in hospital utilization. Retrospective information on insurance purchase allows us to use previous observation of the partner's health and match the reported health closer to the time of purchase of PHI. IV models and bivariate probits are estimated. Also, in the more general specifications, multinomial models are used to distinguish between private and public patient status. Results suggest that PHI is endogenous to the patient status (private or public) and utilization. After correction for endogeneity, effects of insurance on utilization as a private patient are weakened although still significant and positive. Unobservables in insurance and utilization as a private patient are positively related, an indication of price effects or adverse selection. The effects on utilization as a public patient are more complex and vary between day use and overnight stays. Overall utilization does increase with PHI and this is in accord with aggregate time series data linking national rates of PHI coverage and hospital utilization.

Social Science Research Network, 2007

from the Child Care Benefits Branch for providing information and commenting on a preliminary ver... more from the Child Care Benefits Branch for providing information and commenting on a preliminary version of the report. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Minister for Family and Community Services, the Department of Family and Community Services or the Commonwealth Government. We would also like to thank participants at presentations at UNSW, the Labour Econometric Workshop 2002 and at ESAM 2002. Special thanks to Deborah Cobb-Clark, Guy LaRoque, and Elizabeth Savage for their comments and suggestions.

Economic Record, Sep 1, 2003

In this paper, Australian data are used to study the characteristics of workers who are constrain... more In this paper, Australian data are used to study the characteristics of workers who are constrained in their hours of work. Matched employeremployee data allow us to control for their employers' characteristics as well. In particular, the information on the firms' state of demand provides useful evidence on the underlying cause of under-employment. The labour hoarding model cannot explain the observed patterns involving under-employment. Alternative explanations are offered.

Economic Record, Mar 1, 2009

Wealth is an important measure of overall economic well-being, and influences migrants' ability t... more Wealth is an important measure of overall economic well-being, and influences migrants' ability to integrate into their new country. Using data from the 2002 HILDA survey, this study explores the disparity between the wealth distributions of Australian and foreign-born households. Using quantile regressions, the results reveal that immigrants accumulate less wealth than their Australian-born counterparts and that the gap grows throughout the distribution. Further analysis reveals that migrants are able to catch up to their native born counterparts not only through greater time in Australia, but also through human capital accumulation, part of which may be achieved in Australia.

Journal of Health Economics, Dec 1, 2013

Australian Journal of Labour Economics, Jun 1, 2002

Health Economics, Apr 14, 2016

With the growing use of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in health workforce research, the reli... more With the growing use of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in health workforce research, the reliability of elicited job preferences is a growing concern. We provide the first empirical evidence on the temporal stability of such preferences, using a unique longitudinal survey of Australian nursing students and graduate nurses. The respondents completed DCEs on nursing positions in two survey waves. Each position is described by salary and eleven non-salary attributes, and the two waves are spaced 15 months apart on average. Between the waves, most final-year students finished their degrees and started out as graduate nurses. Thus, the survey covers a long timespan that includes an important period of career transition. The relative importance of different job attributes appears stable enough to support the use of DCEs to identify key areas of policy intervention. There is virtually no change in the groupings of influential job characteristics. Conclusions regarding the stability of willingness-to-pay, however, are different due to unstable preferences for salary. The instability of preferences for salary was also found previously in the context of comparing alternative elicitation methods. This prompts us to push for further work on the reliability of stated preferences over monetary attributes.

Economic Record, Mar 5, 2018

Researchers have long been interested in estimating the causal effect of health insurance on heal... more Researchers have long been interested in estimating the causal effect of health insurance on health-care utilisation. Less attention has been given to measuring the impact of insurance on the substitution between private and public sector care. We estimate this effect for hospital admissions in Australia. To identify causal effects we use household variables as instruments, namely, information on partner's health and family aspirations. We find that having private health insurance increases the probability of a hospital admission by 5-6 percentage points. This net effect is the result of a considerable substitution from public to private care, which has important policy implications.

Australian Economic Review, Jun 1, 2002

Information on the use and costs of childcare is collected by the ABS in a specialised survey: th... more Information on the use and costs of childcare is collected by the ABS in a specialised survey: the Child Care Survey. This household survey is conducted occasionally (recently every three years) and contains data for a large and representative sample of Australian families with children less than 12 years of age. Since this information is being merged with the 1996-97

Economic Record, Sep 1, 2005

Journal of Population Economics, Jan 21, 2011

The impact of involuntary job displacements on the probability of divorce is analysed using discr... more The impact of involuntary job displacements on the probability of divorce is analysed using discrete duration models. The analysis uses the sample of couples from the British Household Panel Survey and distinguishes between types of displacements. Results show that couples in which the husband experiences a job loss are more likely to divorce. Redundancies have small, positive, often insignificant and short-lived effects while dismissals and temporary job endings have larger positive impacts. This is consistent with the interpretation of redundancies as capturing negative income shocks while other types of job loss also convey new information about potential future earnings and match quality.

Economic Record, Mar 1, 2006

It was established as a UTS Centre in February, 2002. The Centre aims to contribute to the develo... more It was established as a UTS Centre in February, 2002. The Centre aims to contribute to the development and application of health economics and health services research through research, teaching and policy support. CHERE's research program encompasses both the theory and application of health economics. The main theoretical research theme pursues valuing benefits, including understanding what individuals value from health and health care, how such values should be measured, and exploring the social values attached to these benefits. The applied research focuses on economic and the appraisal of new programs or new ways of delivering and/or funding services. CHERE's teaching includes introducing clinicians, health services managers, public health professionals and others to health economic principles. Training programs aim to develop practical skills in health economics and health services research. Policy support is provided at all levels of the health care system by undertaking commissioned projects, through the provision of formal and informal advice as well as participation in working parties and committees.

Health Economics, 2008

The Centre aims to contribute to the development and application of health economics and health s... more The Centre aims to contribute to the development and application of health economics and health services research through research, teaching and policy support. CHERE's research program encompasses both the theory and application of health economics. The main theoretical research theme pursues valuing benefits, including understanding what individuals value from health and health care, how such values should be measured, and exploring the social values attached to these benefits. The applied research focuses on economic and the appraisal of new programs or new ways of delivering and/or funding services. CHERE's teaching includes introducing clinicians, health services managers, public health professionals and others to health economic principles. Training programs aim to develop practical skills in health economics and health services research. Policy support is provided at all levels of the health care system by undertaking commissioned projects, through the provision of formal and informal advice as well as participation in working parties and committees.

Canadian Journal of Economics, Feb 1, 2020

We are also grateful to Jeffrey Smith, Dwayne Benjamin, David Card and other participants of the ... more We are also grateful to Jeffrey Smith, Dwayne Benjamin, David Card and other participants of the Festschrift held in honour of Professor Craig Riddell for their comments and suggestions. We also owe special thanks to an anonymous referee and the editor for their input.