Professor Robert Breunig
Ph. D. Economics, University of California Riverside
Professor of Economics
College of Asia & the Pacific
Areas of expertise
- Labour Economics 140211
- Applied Statistics 010401
- Welfare Economics 140219
- Public Economics Publically Provided Goods 140214
- Industry Economics And Industrial Organisation 140209
- Econometric And Statistical Methods 140302
- Panel Data Analysis 140304
- Agricultural Economics 140201
- Transport Economics 140217
- Applied Economics 1402
- Econometrics 1403
- Statistics 0104
- Law 1801
Research interests
Current research interests include: tax and transfer policy; child-care and labour supply; regulatory consistency and merger decision consistency; bank location and bank strategy; (petrol) demand; structural labour supply modeling; relative importance measures; young adults and their transition to independence; team performance and wage inequality in baseball.
Please navigate here for a for a better description of my publications and ongoing projects: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/people/academic/robert-breunig
Biography
They call me Dr. Bob. I'm not a real doctor, but I am a real Bob. I'm interested in things.
I like to do econometrics. I think I'm getting better, but I can handle criticism.
Professor Breunig is the current and founding director of the Centre for Complexity and Incoherence (CCI). The CCI is housed within the Thermosphere of the planet we call earth and currently boasts 7.3 billion members. Thank you for your participation!
Don't worry too much.
Does everything seems excessively complicated and difficult to understand?—don't worry. You feel that way because you are in the CCI.
Nothing makes any sense and people talk gibberish to you? Relax—you're in the CCI.
Paranoid; people are out to get you. That's not good. You should seek help.
Visiting scholars are encouraged and welcome at the CCI. Applications should be made in person at the CCI welcome center located in Rachel, NV. If you can find Mitch Teplitsky, he'll help you fill in the application form.
Natalie will tell you about Bob's teaching philosphy here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M9ncAkKSNM.
Publications
- Bakhtiani, S, Breunig, R, Magnani, E et al. 2020, 'Financial Constraints and Small and Medium Enterprises: A review [IN PRESS]', Economic Record, pp. 1-18.
- Breunig, R, Hourani, D, Bakhtiari, S et al. 2020, 'Do financial constraints affect the composition of workers in a firm?', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 79-97.
- Kenny, M, Alberici, E, Breunig, R et al. 2020, Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny: Emma Alberici - What type of world will we be left with after COVID-19?.
- Sainsbury, T & Breunig, R 2020, 'The urgent need for Tax Reform in Australia in the COVID-19 World', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 211-230.
- Breunig, R, Hourani, D, Bakhtiari, S et al. 2020, 'Do financial constraints affect the composition of workers of a firm?', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 79-97.
- Freestone, O & Breunig, R 2020, 'Risk Aversion and the Elasticity of Intertemporal Substitution among Australian Households', Economic Record, vol. 96, no. 313, pp. 121-139.
- Breunig, R, Hasan, S & Whiteoak, K 2019, 'Value of playgrounds relative to green spaces: Matching evidence from property prices in Australia', Landscape and Urban Planning, vol. 190, pp. 1-20.
- Carter, A & Breunig, R 2019, 'Do Earned Income Tax Credits for Older Workers Prolong Labour Market Participation and Boost Earned Income? Evidence from Australia's Mature Age Worker Tax Offset', Economic Record, vol. 95, no. 309, pp. 200-226.
- Fabian, M & Breunig, R 2019, 'Long Work Hours and Job Satisfaction: Do Overworkers Get Trapped in Bad Jobs?', Social Science Quarterly, vol. 100, no. 5, pp. 1932-1956.
- Breunig, R & McCarthy, O 2019, 'Household telecommunications expenditure in Australia [IN PRESS]', Telecommunications Policy, vol. Online.
- Breunig, R 2019, 'Janesville: An American Story', Economic Record, vol. 95, no. 308, pp. 161-163.
- Biddle, N, Breunig, R, Markham, F et al 2019, Introducing the longitudinal MADIP and its role in understanding income dynamics in Australia.
- Biddle, N, Breunig, R, Markham, F et al. 2019, 'Introducing the Longitudinal Multi-Agency Data Integration Project and Its Role in Understanding Income Dynamics in Australia', The Australian Economic Review, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 476-495.
- Breunig, R & Majeed, O 2019, 'Inequality, poverty and economic growth [IN PRESS]', International Economics, vol. Online.
- van Dijk, A, Victoria, H, Crofts, N et al 2018, 'Law enforcement and public health: recognition and enhancement of joined-up solutions', The Lancet, vol. 393, no. 10168, pp. 287-294.
- Breunig, R & Hunter, B 2018, Traditional culture may help Indigenous households manage money better, The Conversation.
- Breunig, R, Hasan, S & Hunter, B 2018, 'Financial stress and Indigenous Australians', Economic Record, published in Early View, pp. 1-24.
- Gong, X & Breunig, R 2017, 'Child Care Assistance: Are Subsidies or Tax Credits Better?', Fiscal Studies, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 7-48.
- Bahktiari, S & Breunig, R 2017, 'New Outsourcing, Demand Uncertainty and Labor Usage', Review of Industrial Organization, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 69-90pp.
- Bahktiari, S & Breunig, R 2017, 'The Role of Spillovers in Research and Development Expenditure in Australian Industries', Economics of Innovation and New Technology, vol. Online, pp. 1-41.
- Breunig, R, Deutscher, N & To, H 2017, 'The Relationship between Immigration to Australia and the Labour Market Outcomes of Australian-Born Workers', Economic Record, vol. 93, no. 301, pp. 255-276.
- Deutscher, N & Breunig, R 2017, 'Baby Bonuses: natural experiments in cash transfers, birth timing and child outcomes', Economic Record, vol. 94, no. 304, pp. 1-24.
- Alexander, B & Breunig, R 2016, 'A Monte Carlo study of bias corrections for panel probit models', Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation, vol. 86, no. 1, pp. 74-90.
- Breunig, R, Gong, X & Leslie, G 2015, 'The Dynamics of Satisfaction with Working Hours in Australia: The Usefulness of Panel Data in Evaluating the Case for Policy Intervention', Asia & The Pacific Policy Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 130-154.
- Barbalet, F, Greenville, J, Crook, W et al 2015, 'Exploring the Links between Bilateral and Regional Trade Agreements and Merchandise Trade', Asia & The Pacific Policy Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 467-484.
- Breunig, R, Gong, X & Trott, D 2014, 'The new national quality framework: Quantifying some of the effects on labour supply, child care demand and household finances for two-parent households', Economic Record, vol. 90, no. 288, pp. 1-16.
- Gong, X & Breunig, R 2014, 'Channels of labour supply responses of lone parents to changed work incentives', Oxford Economic Papers, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 916-939.
- Breunig, R & Chia, T.C. 2014, 'Sovereign Ratings and Oil-Exporting Countries: The Effect of High Oil Prices on Ratings', International Review of Finance.
- Breunig, R, Garrett, B, Jardin, M et al 2014, 'Wage dispersion and team performance: A theoretical model and evidence from baseball', Applied Economics, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 271-281.
- Breunig, R & Rospabe, S 2013, 'The male-female wage gap in France: differences across the wage distribution', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 43 (155-199).
- Breunig, R & Bakhtiari, S 2013, 'Outsourcing and innovation: An empirical exploration of the dynamic relationship', The BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 395-418.
- Breunig, R, Hasan, S & Salehin, M 2013, 'The immigrant wage gap and assimilation in australia: Does unobserved heterogeneity matter?', Economic Record, vol. 89, no. 287, pp. 490-507.
- Breunig, R & McKibbin, R 2012, 'Income Pooling between Australian Young Adults and Their Parents', LABOUR Review of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 235-265.
- Breunig, R, Menezes, F & Tan, K 2012, 'An Empirical Investigation of the Mergers Decision Process in Australia', Economic Record, vol. 88, no. 283, pp. 459-475.
- Breunig, R, Gong, X & King, A 2012, 'Partnered women's labour supply and child care costs in Australia: measurement error and the child care price', The Economic Record, vol. 88, no. Special Issue June 2012, pp. 51-69.
- Breunig, R & Menzies, F 2012, 'Testing Regulatory Consistency', Contemporary Economic Policy, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 60-74.
- Breunig, R 2011, 'Non-parametric Econometrics, by Ibrahim Ahamada and Emmanuel Flachaire (Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2010), pp. xiv + 161.�?? and �??Nonparametric Econometrics: Theory and Practice, by Qi Li and Jeffrey Scott Racine (Princeton University press, Pri', The Economic Record, vol. 87, no. 278, pp. 494-496.
- Breunig, R & McKibbin, R 2011, 'The effect of survey design on household reporting of financial difficulty', Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A: Statistics in Society, vol. 174, no. Part 4, pp. 991-1005.
- Breunig, R 2011, 'Should single-equation dynamic gasoline demand models include moving average terms?', Transportation Research: Part D Transport and Environment, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 474-477.
- Breunig, R, Gong, X, Mercante, J, Weiss, A, and Yamauchi, C 2011, 'Child Care Availability, Quality and Affordability: Are Local Problems Related to Labour Supply?', The Economic Record, vol. 87, no. 276, pp. 109-124.
- Breunig, R & Mercante, J 2010, 'The accuracy of predicted wages of the non-employed and implications for policy simulations from structural labour supply models', Economic Record, vol. 86, no. 272, pp. 49-70.
- Gong, X, Breunig, R and King, A 2010, 'New Estimates of the Relationship between Female Labour Supply and the Cost, Availability, and Quality of Child Care,' Economic Roundup. Issue 1, 2010. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Printing Service. Available at http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1783/PDF/04_New_Estimates_of_Child_Care.pdf
- Breunig, R & Gisz, C 2009, 'An Exploration of Australian Petrol Demand: Unobservable Habits, Irreversibility and Some Updated Estimates', Economic Record, vol. 85, no. 268, pp. 73-91.
- Baron, J, Breunig, R, Cobb-Clark, D, Gorgens, T and Sartbayeva, A, 2009, 'Does the Effect of Incentive Payments on Survey Response Rates Differ by Income Support History?', Journal of Official Statistics, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 483-507.
- Breunig, R & Hutchinson, D 2008, 'Small Sample Bias Corrections for Inequality Indices', in William N. Toggins (ed.), New Econometric Modelling Research, Nova Science Publishers Inc., USA, pp. 61-83.
- Breunig, R 2008, 'Nonparametric Density Estimation for Stratified Samples', Statistics and Probability Letters, vol. 78, pp. 2194-2200.
- Breunig, R & Wong, M 2008, 'A Richer Understanding of Australia's Productivity Performance in the 1990s: Improved Estimates Based Upon Firm-level Panel Data', Economic Record, vol. 84, no. 265, pp. 157-176.
- Breunig, R & Menezes, F 2008, 'Empirical Approaches for Identifying Maverick Firms: An Application to Mortgage Providers in Australia', Journal of Competition Law & Economics, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 811-836.
- Breunig, R, Cobb-Clark, D & Gong, X 2008, 'Improving the Modelling of Couples' Labour Supply', Economic Record, vol. 84, no. 267, pp. 466-485.
- Breunig, R & Rocaboy, Y 2008, 'Per-capita Public Expenditures and Population Size: A Non-parametric Analysis Using French Data', Public Choice, vol. 136, pp. 429-445.
- Breunig, R & Wong, M 2007, 'The role of firm dynamics in Australia's productivity growth', The Australian Economic Review, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 90-6.
- Breunig, R, Cobb-Clark, D, Gong, X et al 2007, 'Disagreement in Australian Partners' Reports of Financial Difficulty', Review of Economics of the Household, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 59-82.
- Breunig, R, Cobb-Clark, D, Gorgens, T, and Sartbayeva, A 2007, 'User's Guide to the Youth in Focus Data, Version 1.0', Youth in Focus Project Discussion Paper Series, Number 1, September, 2007. ISBN 1835-4025. Available at http://youthinfocus.anu.edu.au/publications.htm
- Breunig, R & Cobb-Clark, D 2006, 'Understanding the factors associated with financial stress in Australian households', Australian Social Policy, vol. Online, pp. 13-64.
- Breunig, R, Stacey, S, Hornby, J et al 2006, 'Price Regulation in Australia: How Consistent Has It Been?', Economic Record, vol. 82, no. 256, pp. 67-76.
- Cobb-Clark, D, Ryan, C & Breunig, R 2006, 'A Couples-Based Approach to the Problem of Workless Families', Economic Record, vol. 82, no. 259, pp. 428-444.
- Breunig, R & Wong, M 2005, 'Estimation of total factor productivity', Quantitative Tools for Microeconomic Policy Analysis, Media Publishing, Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 195-214.
- Breunig, R & Stegman, A 2005, 'Testing for Regime Switching in Singaporean Business Cycles', Singapore Economic Review, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 25-34.
- Breunig, R & Dasgupta, I 2005, 'Do Intra-Household Effects Generate the Food Stamp Cash-Out Puzzle?', American Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 87, no. 3, pp. 552-568.
- Breunig, R & Pagan, A 2004, 'Do Markov-switching Models Capture Nonlinearities in the Data? Test Using Nonparametric Methods', Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, vol. 64, pp. 401-407.
- Breunig, R, Cobb-Clark, D, Dunlop, Y et al 2003, 'Assisting the Long-Term Unemployed: Results from a Randomised Trial', Economic Record, vol. 79, no. 244, pp. 84-102.
- Breunig, R, Najarian, S & Pagan, A 2003, 'Specification Testing of Markov Switching Models', Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, vol. 65, no. S1, pp. 703-726.
- Breunig, R & Dasgupta, I 2003, 'Are People Ashamed of Paying with Food Stamps', Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 203-225.
- Breunig, R 2002, 'Bias correction for inequality measures: an application to China and Kenya', Applied Economics Letters, vol. 9, no. 12, pp. 783-786.
- Breunig, R & Dasgupta, I 2002, 'A theoretical and empirical evaluation of the functional form used to estimate the food expenditure equation of food stamp recipients: comment', American Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 1156-1160.
- Breunig, R 2001, 'An almost unbiased estimator of the coefficient of variation', Economics Letters, vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 15-19.
- Breunig, R 2001, 'Density Estimation for Clustered Data', Econometric Reviews, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 353-367.
- Breunig, R, Dasgupta, I, Gundersen, C and Pattanaik, P 2001, Explaining the Food Stamp Cash-Out Puzzle, United States Department of Agriculture.
- Ullah, A and Breunig, R 1998, 'Econometric Analysis in Complex Surveys' in Giles, D and Ullah, A, editors, Handbook of Applied Economic Statistics, New York: Marcel Dekker, pp. 325-364.
- Russell, R, Breunig, R, and Chiu, C 1998, 'Aggregation and Econometric Analysis of Demand and Supply' in Giles, D and Ullah, A, editors, Handbook of Applied Economic Statistics, New York: Marcel Dekker, pp. 177-236.
- Lieberman, O, Ullah, A, and Breunig R 1997, 'On the Bias of the Standard Errors of the LS Residual and the Regression Coefficients Under Normal and Non-Normal Errors', Econometric Theory, Problems and Solutions, vol 13, December, pp. 896-7.
- Ullah, A and Breunig, R, 1996 'On the Bias of the Standard Errors of the LS Residual and the Regression Coefficients Under Normal and Non-Normal Errors', Econometric Theory, Problems and Solutions, vol 12, December, pp. 868.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- HFE Tax Elasticities Scoping Study (Secondary Investigator)
- Applying Behavioural Insights to the Tax System in Australia (Primary Investigator)
- Small firms' financial conditions, employment and wages: Firm-level evidence (Primary Investigator)
- Economic analysis of immigrants’ impacts on the labour market outcomes of incumbents in Australia (Primary Investigator)
- Pre-Release Prisoner Randomised Evaluation Project (Primary Investigator)
- Controlling for macroeconomic variables (Secondary Investigator)
- Grant Arrangement for Establishment of The Tax and Transfer Policy Institute (TTPI) (Primary Investigator)
- Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy (Secondary Investigator)
