The purpose of this study is to investigate persistence in regional (state) hidden unemployment disparity in Australia. Quarterly time series data spanning the period 1978 through to 2003 were employed in the analyses. Empirical results indicate that cyclical sensitivity of hidden unemployment series is more pronounced in Tasmania and least pronounced in New South Wales. The hidden unemployment differentials appear to be more pronounced during periods following a recession than in a boom. Results also indicate that the levels of hidden unemployed were higher in the 1990s compared with the 1980s. Co-integration analyses indicate a lack of synchronicity of regional and national hidden unemployment series in Australia.
Australasian Journal of Regional Studies Vol. 12, Issue 1, p. 3-19