0 points, SCA Band 3, 0.000 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
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Not offered in 2019
Synopsis
This unit introduces various theoretical models of the labour market with a focus on policy-related issues. The unit examines neo-classical explanation of labour supply and demand decisions and addresses how well those theories explain observed patterns in the data. In this unit we shall examine employers' incentives and behaviour that determine the labour demand curve, the interaction between wages, income, and the decision to work, the relationship between wages and undesirable job characteristics, and the incentives for and the effects of educational and training investments and contemporary issues such as labour mobility, discrimination and income inequality.
Outcomes
The learning goals associated with this unit are to:
- understand employers' incentives and behaviour that determine the labour demand curve, implications of minimum wage laws, and effects of technological change on labour demand
- build conceptual frameworks to analyse various aspects of workers' labour supply behaviour such as whether to work for pay as opposed to consuming leisure or working at home without pay, the choice of occupations with different characteristics, workers' decisions to invest in human capital and other investments designed to improve their earning capabilities, and various policy applications that affect workers' choice between work and leisure
- examine contemporary issues such as labour mobility, labour market discrimination and income inequality.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 40% + Examination: 60%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information