|
on Economics of Happiness |
|
Issue of 2016‒02‒23
seven papers chosen by |
| By: | Richard V. Burkhauser; Jan-Emmanuel De Neve; Nattavudh Powdthavee |
| Abstract: | The share of income held by the top 1 percent in many countries around the world has been rising persistently over the last 30 years. But we continue to know little about how the rising top income shares affect human well-being. This study combines the latest data to examine the relationship between top income share and different dimensions of subjective well-being. We find top income shares to be significantly correlated with lower life evaluation and higher levels of negative emotional well-being, but not positive emotional well-being. The results are robust to household income, individual's socio-economic status, and macroeconomic environment controls. |
| Keywords: | Top income, life evaluation, well-being, income inequality, World Top Income database, Gallup World Poll |
| JEL: | D63 I3 |
| Date: | 2016–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1400&r=hap |
| By: | Niimi, Yoko |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of providing informal care to elderly parents on caregivers' subjective well-being using unique data from the "Preference Parameters Study" of Osaka University, a nationally representative survey conducted in Japan. The estimation results indicate heterogeneous effects: while informal elderly care does not have a significant impact on the happiness level of married caregivers regardless of whether they take care of their own parents or parents-in law and whether or not they reside with them, it has a negative and significant impact on the happiness level of unmarried caregivers who take care of their parents outside their home. These findings shed light on the important role that formal care services could play in reducing the burden on caregivers, particularly unmarried caregivers who presumably receive less support from family members. |
| Keywords: | Aging, Caregiving, ElderlyCare, Happiness, InformalCare, Japan, Long-term Care Insurance, ParentalCare, Subjective Well-being |
| JEL: | D10 I18 I31 J14 |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:agi:wpaper:00000082&r=hap |
| By: | Miriam Maeder |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the causal effect of earnings-related parental leave benefits (Elterngeld) on subjective well-being of young mothers. The new subsidy was introduced in 2007, and replaced a former means-tested benefit (Erziehungsgeld). The reform changed the total amount of benefits as well as the duration of pay. By construction of the reform, the change in benefits differs across population subgroups, depending on their eligibility for the former means-tested benefit. The reform also introduced incentives for paternal leave taking. Income effects, fathers’ involvement, and social norms constitute potential channels through which the reform affects well-being. Using a regression discontinuity design, I find remarkable heterogeneities in the response to the reform. While subjective well-being of West German mothers increases, East German mothers experience decreasing life satisfaction. |
| Keywords: | Elterngeld, paid parental leave, well-being, life satisfaction |
| JEL: | J13 J18 J28 I31 |
| Date: | 2014–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bav:wpaper:148_maeder&r=hap |
| By: | Fabio Sabatini (University of Rome - La Sapienza); Francesco Sarracino |
| Abstract: | Does Facebook make people lonely and unhappy? Empirical studies have produced conflicting results about the effect of social network- ing sites (SNS) use on individual welfare. We use a representative sample of the Italian population to investigate how actual and virtual networks of social relationships influence subjective well-being (SWB). We find a significantly negative correlation between online networking and self-reported happiness. We address endogeneity in online net- working by exploiting technological characteristics of the pre-existing voice telecommunication infrastructures that exogenously determined the availability of broadband for high-speed Internet. We try to further disentangle the direct effect of SNS use on well-being from the indirect effect possibly caused by the impact of SNS's on trust and sociability in a SEM analysis. We find that online networking plays a positive role in SWB through its impact on physical interactions. On the other hand, SNS use is associated with lower social trust, which is in turn positively correlated with SWB. The overall effect of network- ing on individual welfare is significantly negative. |
| Keywords: | social participation; online networks; Facebook; social trust; social capital; subjective well-being; hate speech; broadband; digital divide |
| JEL: | C36 D85 O33 Z13 |
| Date: | 2014–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ent:wpaper:wp54&r=hap |
| By: | Wolfgang Auer; Natalia Danzer |
| Abstract: | We study the short- to medium-run effects of starting a career on a fixed-term contract on subsequent fertility and health outcomes. We focus on the career start since we expect that temporary contracts and their inherent economic uncertainty imply a path dependence which might have spill-over effects on other domains of life. Our empirical analysis is based on rich data from the German Socio-Economic Panel which provides comprehensive information about individuals’ labour market history as well as fertility behaviour, and physical and mental health indicators. Our main results are that due to fixed-term employment at labour market entry women tend to: (i) postpone first births, (ii) have fewer children within ten years after graduation and (iii) have lower mental health status within three years after graduation. These associations are strongest in the subsample of native women with secondary education. In contrast, we find no significant correlations for men. We argue that these findings are robust to potential endogeneity threats. |
| Keywords: | starting a career, fixed-term contracts, economic uncertainty, maternity postponing, fertility, mental health, life satisfaction |
| JEL: | J13 J18 J41 |
| Date: | 2015–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ibt:wpaper:wp062015&r=hap |
| By: | Akay, Alpaslan (University of Gothenburg); Constant, Amelie F. (Temple University); Giulietti, Corrado (University of Southampton); Guzi, Martin (Masaryk University) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates how ethnic diversity, measured by the immigrants' countries of origin, influences the well-being of the host country. Using panel data from Germany for the period 1998 to 2012, we find a positive effect of ethnic diversity on the well-being of German citizens. To corroborate the robustness of our results, we estimate several alternative specifications and investigate possible causality issues, including non-random selection of natives and immigrants into regions. Finally, we explore productivity and social capital as potential mechanisms behind our finding. |
| Keywords: | ethnic diversity, subjective well-being, assimilation, multiculturality |
| JEL: | C90 D63 J61 |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9726&r=hap |
| By: | Richard Dorsett; Cinzia Rienzo; Martin Weale |
| Abstract: | This paper uses a UK nationally representative data set to examine the extent to which family migration history helps explains inter-ethnic variations in subjective well-being. We confirm that there is significant variation in well-being across ethnic group and across migrant generations. On average, recent migrants appear to have higher levels of well-being. We also find that, while language difficulties are associated with lower well-being, retaining cultural links is important: living in areas where one’s own ethnic group is well represented and having friends from the same ethnic group is associated with a higher level of well-being. Individuals’ choice to retain cultural ties and identity may alleviate feelings of cultural distance and difficulties with integration. |
| Date: | 2015–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nsr:niesrd:451&r=hap |