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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2019‒11‒18
five papers chosen by |
| By: | Akkemik, K. Ali; Çiçek, Gerçek; Yuji Horioka, Charles; Niimi, Yoko |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of the failed coup d’état attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, on people’s happiness, life satisfaction, and trust and finds that the plot had a significant negative effect on all three variables. This paper is the first to show that coups d’état can have a significant adverse effect on people’s well-being, as in the case of terrorist attacks. |
| Keywords: | happiness, well-being, trust, life satisfaction, coup d’état, Turkey, I31 |
| Date: | 2019–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:agi:wpaper:00000160&r=all |
| By: | An Thu Ta (Department of Economics, University of Sheffield) |
| Abstract: | Do people adapt to disability? Little work has examined hedonic adaptation to disability, especially by looking at physical and mental disability separately. This study is the first to investigate the effect of physical, mental, and general disability on subjective well-being (SWB) and focus on the phenomenon of hedonic adaptation, conditional on an observed reduction in SWB at onset of disability, and its heterogeneity across age at onset and gender. Using a fixed effects (FE) lag model, this study analyses data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) 2009-2018. The main sample in this study is restricted to only those individuals who reported a drop in SWB at onset. Furthermore, the analysis looks at heterogeneity across genders and age at onset. The results show that mental disability has larger negative impacts on SWB than physical disability. There is evidence of partial adaptation (20% to 80%) to both physical and mental disability at three years or more after onset conditional on an observed reduction in SWB at onset. Regarding adaptation after onset, across most age groups, there is no evidence for adaptation to disability. The exception is the youngest onset group, which partially adapt to general disability after three or more years after onset. There appears to be no difference in hedonic adaptation to physical and mental disability by gender. |
| Keywords: | Adaptation; Well-being; Subjective Well-being; Disability; General Disability; Physical Disability; Mental Disability; Life Satisfaction |
| JEL: | D63 I3 I31 |
| Date: | 2019–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:shf:wpaper:2019020&r=all |
| By: | Ivanov, Boris; Pfeiffer, Friedhelm; Pohlan, Laura |
| Abstract: | In this paper we analyze the effects of a German job creation scheme (JCS) on the social integration and well-being of long-term unemployed individuals. Using linked survey and administrative data for participants and a group of matched non-participants, we find significant positive effects of being employed within this program. They are larger for individuals with health impairments and above-average duration of welfare dependence. The program effects decline over time, which cannot be explained by decreasing levels of well-being and social integration of the participants. Instead, this decrease is driven by a rising share of controls who find a job and catch up to similar outcome levels as program participants. Overall, our results suggest that JCSs can be an efficient labor market policy instrument to improve the quality of life of the long-term unemployed. |
| Keywords: | unemployment,active labor market policy,job creation schemes,wellbeing,social integration,matching |
| JEL: | I31 J64 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:19048&r=all |
| By: | Wilson, Peter (New Zealand Institute of Economic Research); Fry, Julie (Consultant) |
| Abstract: | Kiwis believe in giving people a fair go. Improving the wellbeing of children living in poverty fits with these values. Wellbeing is not just a trendy name for income or standard of living. Kia māia: Be bold shows how it is a powerful idea that goes to the heart of what “a fair go”' in life requires. We discuss how some people struggle to convert income and other resources into a good life. For those people, increasing income is not enough to increase their wellbeing. To address the negative effects of child poverty and give all Kiwi kids a fair go, additional support, often focussed on the needs of individuals and their families, will be required. |
| Keywords: | Children; Poverty; Wellbeing; Governnment support |
| JEL: | I31 I32 |
| Date: | 2019–05–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:nzierw:2019_001&r=all |
| By: | Arthur Grimes (Motu Economic and Public Policy Research); Dominic White (Motu Economic and Public Policy Research) |
| Abstract: | We examine: (i) which groups have a lower likelihood of being digitally included in New Zealand, and (ii) how digital inclusion relates to wellbeing. Using four large-scale surveys, we identify several groups whose members are prone to relatively low internet access: people living in social housing; disabled individuals; Pasifika; M?ori; people living in larger country towns (10,000-25,000 people); older members of society (particularly those aged over 75 years); unemployed people and those not actively seeking work. Those in social housing and disabled people are particularly disadvantaged with respect to internet access. Disabled people are also at greater risk than others from a virus infection or other internet interference. We identify a number of associative (but not necessarily causal) relationships between internet access and wellbeing. Those with internet access tend to have higher wellbeing and richer social capital outcomes (e.g. voting) than those without access. For adolescents, as internet use on weekdays outside of school increases, students’ subjective wellbeing declines; once daily internet use exceeds about two hours, we find no positive association between internet use and adolescents’ wellbeing. These results are of particular interest given that 15% of 15-year olds (including 27% of M?ori students) report using the internet for more than 6 hours per day on a weekday outside of school, while over half report more than two hours’ use. |
| Keywords: | internet, digital inclusion, wellbeing, social capital |
| JEL: | H42 H54 I31 |
| Date: | 2019–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mtu:wpaper:19_17&r=all |