Hidden in the Labour Market

An Intersectional Latent Class Analysis of Discouraged Workers in Australia

Bibliographic Data

ID11228092
AuthorsSora Lee (0000-0002-2665-7794, Department of Public Health La Trobe University Melbourne Australia, corresponding author), Woojin Kang (0009-0004-3922-2775, Department of Economics Hanbat National University Daejeon South Korea)
Year2026
Publication date2026-02-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Social Issues (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0157-6321 • E-ISSN: 1839-4655
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajs4.70099
OpenAlexW7130818157
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited14

This study employs an intersectionality‐informed latent class analysis (LCA) to examine the hidden diversity of discouraged workers in Australia. Drawing on nationally representative data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, we identified six empirically distinct subgroups defined by intersecting demographic and structural characteristics. Class 1 consisted of older educated married men with moderate health issues, while Class 2 captured older, low‐educated workers with chronic health conditions. Class 3 included older educated singles facing poor health and financial risk, and Class 4 represented young low‐educated single men with weak labour market attachment. Two gendered trajectories also emerged: Class 5 comprised care‐burdened, low‐educated mothers experiencing financial strain, while Class 6 consisted of educated married women whose discouragement patterns were consistent with gendered labour‐market constraints, despite strong health and educational profiles. Robustness checks using SF‐36 health functioning and life satisfaction measures confirmed clear gradients in wellbeing across classes, reinforcing the validity of the six‐class typology. The results demonstrate that discouraged workers cannot be understood as a uniform group but reflect diverse pathways shaped by overlapping disadvantages. Recognising this heterogeneity highlights the need for differentiated policy approaches, including childcare supports, age‐inclusive employment, and measures to dismantle gendered barriers to participation

Class (philosophy · Diversity (politics · Household income · Inequality · Intersectionality · Latent class model · Life course approach · Social class · Employment and Welfare Studies · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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Open DOIOpen Access