An analysis of mature aged female participation in New South Wales regional labour markets

The analysis of regional markets has surfaced as an important emerging area of economic research in recent years. In particular, economists have attempted to explain the factors behind divergent trends in different regions' growth, migration, structural change and employment. With this in mind, the focus of this paper is to explore the trends in regional labour force participation for mature females over the period 1992 to present. The labour force participation of this group is particularly relevant in the context of Australia's ageing population. To analyse mature age participation we utilise ANOVA to determine the differences between various Australian regions and unit root testing incorporating structural breaks to investigate the time series dynamics. Our findings will have significant implications for Australia's regional and ageing policy platforms.