Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia

This paper investigates gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia using the 2006 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The explorations described in this paper indicate that there are gendered dimensions to both the value and composition of asset and...

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Main Authors: Jefferson, Therese, Ong, Rachel
Format: Working Paper
Published: Centre for Research in Applied Economics, Curtin Business School 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34376
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author Jefferson, Therese
Ong, Rachel
author_facet Jefferson, Therese
Ong, Rachel
author_sort Jefferson, Therese
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper investigates gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia using the 2006 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The explorations described in this paper indicate that there are gendered dimensions to both the value and composition of asset and debt holdings in Australia. If we compare couple households with single men and women households then we find that women have both lower asset holdings and portfolios that are relatively overweighted in the primary home. In some respects single men households have portfolios that more closely resemble those of couple households than single women’s portfolios. This is particularly the case with the lower proportion of single men’s portfolios held in their primary home and their holding of accumulated superannuation wealth. To the extent that data reveal insights into gendered patterns of intrahousehold asset holdings, women’s holdings of solely owned assets are lower then men’s in all age groups and across all types of assets for which data are available. This pattern is particularly evident in de facto opposite sex couple households.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-343762017-01-30T13:43:04Z Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia Jefferson, Therese Ong, Rachel intrahousehold asset holdings asset debt wealth gender This paper investigates gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia using the 2006 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The explorations described in this paper indicate that there are gendered dimensions to both the value and composition of asset and debt holdings in Australia. If we compare couple households with single men and women households then we find that women have both lower asset holdings and portfolios that are relatively overweighted in the primary home. In some respects single men households have portfolios that more closely resemble those of couple households than single women’s portfolios. This is particularly the case with the lower proportion of single men’s portfolios held in their primary home and their holding of accumulated superannuation wealth. To the extent that data reveal insights into gendered patterns of intrahousehold asset holdings, women’s holdings of solely owned assets are lower then men’s in all age groups and across all types of assets for which data are available. This pattern is particularly evident in de facto opposite sex couple households. 2010 Working Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34376 Centre for Research in Applied Economics, Curtin Business School fulltext
spellingShingle intrahousehold asset holdings
asset
debt
wealth
gender
Jefferson, Therese
Ong, Rachel
Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia
title Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia
title_full Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia
title_fullStr Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia
title_full_unstemmed Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia
title_short Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia
title_sort profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in australia
topic intrahousehold asset holdings
asset
debt
wealth
gender
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/34376