Do reductions in tick sizes influence liquidity?

On 4 December 1995, the Australian Stock Exchange reduced the minimum tick size for stocks priced below $A0.50 and stocks priced above $A10. We use this natural experiment to examine the impact of tick size reductions on liquidity. The present paper reports that although lower tick sizes generally lead to increased liquidity, this result is not universal. Stocks with larger relative tick sizes experience the greatest improvement in liquidity, while stocks with small relative tick sizes and low trading volume experience reduced liquidity. There is no change in order exposure as a result of the reduced tick sizes.     

Gender Differences in Economic Knowledge: A Reevaluation of the Evidence

This study examines the importance and significance of male-female differences in understanding and learning economics and attempts to assess whether the use of multiple choice questions, rather than essay questions, contributes to these measured differences. Do multiple choice questions favor men with their possibly superior spatial and numerical skills? Do essay questions favor women with their possibly superior verbal skills? Evidence based on a study involving 589 students using an examination including both types of questions is analyzed in this article.     

Effects of birth spacing and timing on mothers' labor force participation

Data from the March 1991Current Population Survey [Bureau of the Census, 1992] were used to investigate the effects of children on single and married mothers' labor force participation decisions. Logit results indicated that for both single and married mothers, an increase in education and market experience increases the probability of market participation while an increase in income has a negative effect on the likelihood of mothers' labor market participation. The number of children present in the household negatively affected participation while an increase in the age of children positively influenced the mother's labor market participation. The spacing effect in the married group and the timing effect in the single group were significant. Furthermore, an increase in the number of older children in the household (between the ages of 12 and 17 years) increased the probability of labor market participation by single mothers but decreased that of married mothers.     

Technology, markets and the design of women's jobs—the case of the clothing industry

The clothing industry has been saved largely as a result of the introduction of new technology in response to an increasingly competitive market place. But what affect has this restructuring had upon jobs? We explore how women workers have experienced this change and why policy-making should consider job design.