Supporting research and data
Commission staff undertake supporting research and analysis, data compilation and model development in support of our inquiry and study activity.
Literacy and numeracy skills and labour market outcomes in Australia
29 / 05 / 2014
This paper by Anthony Shomos and Matt Forbes was released on 29 May 2014. It profiles the literacy and numeracy skills of Australia's adult population and assesses how important they are for two labour market outcomes - employment and wages.
Agricultural Competitiveness Taskforce
28 / 04 / 2014
This submission was made to the Agricultural Competitiveness Taskforce on 17 April 2014. The submission addresses a number of the issues and questions raised in the Agricultural Competitiveness Issues Paper, drawing on projects undertaken by the Commission of relevance to the agricultural sector, and for framing agricultural policy.
Regulator Audit Framework
19 / 03 / 2014
This paper was released on 19 March 2014 and provides a framework for auditing the performance of regulators.
Environmental policy analysis: A guide to non-market valuation
14 / 01 / 2014
The objective of this paper is to examine the validity and reliability of various non-market valuation methods, the case for using non-market valuation in environmental policy analysis, and how best use can be made of non-market valuation in developing environmental policy.
Productivity in manufacturing: Measurement and interpretation
06 / 12 / 2013
The objective of this paper is to examine recent productivity performance in Manufacturing, with particular focus on the causes of its decline.
On input-output tables: Uses and abuses
01 / 10 / 2013
This staff research note, released on 1 October 2013, describes the uses and abuses of input-output tables, with the aim of improving future utility of what is an important but sometimes misused resource.
Labour's share of growth in income and prosperity
26 / 09 / 2013
The paper is about the sources of growth in income in Australia and the effects of structural change on the distribution of income between labour and capital. The main objective is to find an explanation for the fall in the labour share of income in Australia in the 2000s.
Prevalence of transition pathways in Australia
29 / 08 / 2013
This paper by Jane Fry and Clare Boulton was released on 29 August 2013. The analysis in this paper identifies broad patterns - or pathways - in labour market and education activities associated with different life stages. It uses a novel approach - optimal matching combined with cluster analysis - to analyse 10 years of calendar data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey.
Deep and persistent disadvantage in Australia
11 / 07 / 2013
This paper is about disadvantage in Australia, and in particular, about Australians who experience deep and persistent disadvantage.
On productivity: The influence of natural resource inputs
11 / 06 / 2013
This staff research note, released on 11 June 2013, looks at the effect of one of these other possible sources of change - natural resource inputs.
On sustainability: an economic approach
14 / 05 / 2013
This staff research note, released on 14 May 2013, illustrates possible interpretations of sustainability and what they imply for policy analysis by using an economic framework for exploring the issues.
On efficiency and effectiveness: Some definitions
09 / 05 / 2013
This staff research note, released on 9 May 2013, sets out how the Productivity Commission defines these terms along with related concepts such as cost effectiveness and productivity.
Better Indigenous policies: The role of evaluation
30 / 04 / 2013
The Commission held a roundtable on Better Indigenous Policies: The Role of Evaluation at Old Parliament House in Canberra on 22-23 October.
Forms of work in Australia
23 / 04 / 2013
This paper analyses how the prevalence of different forms of work has changed in Australia, with a particular focus on the decade to 2011, and considers why those changes might have occurred.
Trends in the distribution of income in Australia
27 / 03 / 2013
This staff working paper examines trends to 2009-10 in Australia's distribution of incomes and factors that help explain these trends.
Productivity perspectives 2012
21 / 02 / 2013
The Productivity Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics held a one-day productivity conference in Canberra on 20th November 2012. The conference provided an overview of productivity trends and a range of productivity measurement, analytical and policy issues.
COAG's Regulatory and Competition Reform Agenda: A high level assessment of the gains
03 / 08 / 2012
The Productivity Commission was requested to conduct a 'preliminary high-level review' of sixteen areas of reform identified by COAG at its April 2012 meeting. The Commission's paper was provided on 29 June 2012 to the cross jurisdictional Taskforce established to advise COAG on the development of a National Productivity Compact between governments and business associations.
Benchmarking in federal systems
24 / 07 / 2012
The Commission held a Roundtable on A 'Sustainable' Population?- Key Policy Issues, at Old Parliament House in Canberra on 21-22 March 2011. The proceedings of the roundtable were released in July 2011.
Australia's productivity growth slump: Signs of crisis, adjustment or both?
19 / 04 / 2012
This paper by visiting researcher Dean Parham was released on 19 April 2012.
Productivity in electricity, gas and water: Measurement and interpretation
04 / 04 / 2012
This staff working paper examines productivity trends in the Australian utilities industry and highlights some significant issues relating to the measurement and interpretation of changes in measured productivity over time.