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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2009‒04‒13
six papers chosen by |
| By: | Haile, Getinet Astatike (Policy Studies Institute) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the determinants of job satisfaction in Britain using nationally representative linked employer-employee data (WERS2004) and alternative econometric techniques. It uses eight facets of job satisfaction for the purpose. As well as underscoring the importance of accounting for unobserved workplace heterogeneity, the paper is able to highlight some new findings that relate to differential effects of dependent children and other dependents, type of employment contract and gaps between employees' skill and skills requirements of their job. Working long hours is found to be positively associated with intrinsic aspect of jobs. Public sector employment is positively associated with all facets of job satisfaction except satisfaction with pay. |
| Keywords: | job satisfaction, linked employer-employee data, Britain |
| JEL: | J28 I31 |
| Date: | 2009–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4101&r=hap |
| By: | Joana Costa (International Poverty Centre); Elydia Silva (International Poverty Centre) |
| Abstract: | There are many ways in which gender inequalities are present in society. Those inequalities, like any other, are intrinsically unfair and should be fought against. In this One Pager, we show how gender inequalities in the labour market determine poverty levels. We answer the following question: which aspect of gender inequalities should be considered priority in the design of public policies that seek to reduce gender inequalities and poverty? |
| Keywords: | Eliminating Gender Inequalities Reduces Poverty. How? |
| Date: | 2008–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipc:opager:73&r=hap |
| By: | Joana Costa (International Poverty Centre); Elydia Silva (International Poverty Centre); Fábio Vaz (Institute for Applied Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | This Working Paper investigates the possible link between gender inequalities in the labour market and significant economic outcomes such as income growth, poverty and inequality indicators. Our analysis is based on microsimulations for eight Latin American countries. We consider four aspects of gender inequalities: differences in labour market participation, differences in occupational status, wage discrimination and differences in characteristics. Our findings highlight the relevance of gender equality, especially an increase in women?s access to the labour market, in bringing about a reduction in poverty and inequality. |
| Keywords: | The Role of Gender Inequalities in Explaining Income Growth, Poverty and Inequality: Evidence from Latin American Countries |
| Date: | 2009–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipc:wpaper:52&r=hap |
| By: | Blanchflower, David G. (Dartmouth College, USA and University of Stirling, UK.); Oswald, Andrew J. (University of Warwick, UK.) |
| Abstract: | This paper is a continuation of results in Blanchflower and Oswald (2008). It provides new evidence that well-being follows a curve through life. We use data on half a million randomly sampled individuals across eight major European nations. Importantly, we show that in this set of countries there is a U-shape even in unadjusted data, that is, without the inclusion of control variables. But we also advise against a focus on elementary bivariate associations. |
| Keywords: | Happiness ; aging ; well-being ; mental-health ; depression ; life-course |
| JEL: | D1 I3 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:896&r=hap |
| By: | Francesco Sarracino |
| Abstract: | Discovering whether social capital endowments in modern societies have been subjected or not to a process of gradual erosion is one of the most debated topics in recent economic literature. This new stream of research has been inaugurated by Putnam’s pioneering studies about social capital trends in the United States. Recently, a considerable work by Stevenson andWolfers (2008) put a new emphasis on this topic contending Easterlin’s assessment. Present work is aimed at analyzing the relationship between changes in social capital and subjective well-being in Europe considering 11 different countries. In particular, we would like to answer questions such as: 1) is social capital in Europe declining? Is such erosion a general trend of modern societies or is it a characteristic feature of only some of them? 2) social capital trend can help to explain subjective well-being trend? In so doing, our research considers three different set of proxies of social capital controlling for time and socio-demographic aspects in eleven different European countries using WVS data between 1980 and 2000.Our results are encouraging, showing evidence of a probable relationship between social capital and happiness. Furthermore, our results show that during last twenty years European citizens have persistently lost confidence in the judicial system, in the church, in armed forces and the police. Finally, considering single countries, we discover that United Kingdom is the only European country with a clear and negative pattern for social capital: quite every proxy of social capital in UK declined over the considered period |
| JEL: | D6 I31 O1 |
| Date: | 2009–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:usi:wpaper:558&r=hap |
| By: | Bednarik, Radek; Filipova, Lenka |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we focus on the research of the impact of religion and political regime on human capital and economic development. There is a lot of incentive literature concerning the impact of political regime and religion on the economic development. However, we use different approach to show the mutual dependence of variables and offer another aspect of economic development relating to religion which is secularization and the principle of equal rights. We use three equation model to verify two hypotheses in our paper. The first, that differences in GDP per capita among countries determined by technological progress are influenced by religion and political regime. The second, that there is the interplay between GDP and educational level and education and political regime. |
| Keywords: | economic development; political regime; religion; human capital |
| JEL: | O10 C33 |
| Date: | 2009–04–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:14556&r=hap |