Business School

Labour markets, education, health and public policy

Research outcomes include employment and wage levels, government policy options in labour and educational portfolios, financing of health care and the prioritisation of health services, and the design of taxation and welfare systems.

Research in labour economics and education evaluates educational and labour market outcomes, such as employment and wage levels, and government policy options in labour and educational portfolios.

Health economics research includes the financing of health care and the prioritisation of health services within public health. Policy-related topics include comparative health systems, the financing and contracting of health care, and regulation of health information.

Research in public policy applies economic principles to the development of policy and analyses the outcomes of existing policies and alternatives. Policy-related topics include all activities of government and the design of taxation and welfare systems. Department research includes:

Demand for education: schooling choices, determinants of academic achievement, and school-to-work transitions.
Education, earnings and educational governance: private and public returns to investments in higher education, lessons from university fees and student loan policies.
Evaluation of labour market and education policies: employment and wage effects.
Labour mobility: earnings effects due to movement in the labour market, using employer-employee data.
Economic effects of immigration: employment and wage effects of skilled immigration, and economic performance of immigrants.
Optimal contracting in health systems: for example, targeting and contracting for improving safety and quality of health care, ACC financing, tax and benefit reforms, and the theory of health insurance.
The economics of the family and child poverty: for example, the use of ‘in-work benefits’ and tax credits.
Pensions and savings issues relating to an ageing population: for example, the financing of long-term care, the treatment of overseas pensions in New Zealand, distributional effects of KiwiSaver, and household wealth and saving (Visit our Retirement Policy and Research Centre website).