An Overview of an ‘Established Rural Regional Inland’ Australian Labour Market
Richard B. Sappey, Parikshit Basu and John Hicks
Working Paper No. 10/07
October 2007
About the Authors
- Richard B. Sappey
Institute of Land, Water and Society
Charles Sturt University
- Professor John Hicks
Faculty of Business
Charles Sturt University
- Dr Parikshit Basu
School of Marketing and Management
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University – Faculty of Business Working Paper Series
Managing Editor: Associate Professor Jayne Bisman, School of Accounting, Bathurst
Editors: Dr P. Mathews, School of Commerce, Wagga Wagga
Associate Professor M. O'Mullane, School of Business, Albury
Dr R. Tierney, School of Marketing and Management, Bathurst
Dr D Ardagh, School of Commerce, Wagga Wagga
Ms K Mather, School of Computing and Mathematics, Wagga Wagga
The Faculty of Business Working Paper Series is intended to provide staff and students with a means of communicating new and evolving ideas in order to encourage academic debate. Working papers, as the title suggests, should not necessarily be taken as completed works or final expressions of opinion. All working papers are subject to review prior to publication by one or more editors or referees familiar with the discipline area. Normally, working papers may be freely quoted and/or reproduced provided proper reference to the author and source is given. When a working paper is published on a restricted basis, notice of such restriction will appear on this page.
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Labour Market Diversity
- The Central West of New South Wales Background
- Principal Dimensions of the Regional Labour Market
- Analysis
- Conclusion
- References
Abstract
The paper analyses a particular type of local labour market, ‘established rural regional inland’ and seeks to contribute to the literature in developing a typology of labour markets. Diversity of labour markets is important in terms of migration shifts, economic development and policy approaches by local government. The Central West of NSW displays labour market dimensions not found in the same combination in other types of labour markets, particularly those with large concentrated populations such as are found in large cites with substantial service sector growth and those largely underpinned by one or a related number of manufacturing/mining industries. The analysis suggests a relatively high level of stability based on gradual population increase and diverse industry structure. However, there are qualifications, mainly ‘exporting’ some unemployment, diversity of employment as between rural areas and towns of differing population sizes and a relatively narrow and low skills base.