Evaluation of the Australian Wage Subsidy Special Youth ...

161
The characteristics of the SYETP participant profile affected by the sample reduction are
quite different to those among the comparison group. Amongst the comparison group,
fewer of those lost had employed partners. As well, the profile of schooling was different,
more of those lost had year 12 and year 9 schooling, but fewer had year 11. The pattern
of job lengths held by those of the comparisons lost was different to those remaining:
more had held jobs of one to 2 years, but less had held jobs of three years or more. The
locations of those lost also differ from the locations of those who remain in the
comparison group, with more in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory, and
fewer in South Australia or Northern Territory, less came from rural areas or country
towns, and more were from cities. It is conspicuous that the location of those lost within
the comparison group reflects the overall pattern observed earlier in Table 5.2. The bulk
of observations being in the comparison group enforces the influence of this group’s
profile upon the overall statistics in Table 2.
The variation in the effects within the SYETP treatment and comparison groups gives
rise to concerns that SYETP participation as measured in the ALS data used may be
affected by the data problems due to sample reduction. The former analysis of the overall
effects of sample reduction also showed evidence of SYETP being affected, as well as
potential regressor variables. The source of sample reduction is now controlled for in
further dissection of the univariate effects.