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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2022‒08‒15
five papers chosen by |
| By: | Costa-Font, Joan (London School of Economics); D’Amico, Francesco (CEP, London School of Economics); Vilaplana-Prieto, Cristina (Universidad de Murcia) |
| Abstract: | We study the effect of long-term care (LTC) subsidies and supports on the wellbeing of unpaid caregivers. We draw on evidence from a policy intervention, that universalized previously means-tested caregiving supports in Scotland, known as free personal care (FPC). We document causal evidence of an increase in the well-being (happiness) of unpaid carers after the introduction of FPC. Our estimates suggest economically relevant improvements in the happiness (12pp increase in subjective wellbeing) among caregivers exposed to FPC and that provide at least 35 hours of care per week. Consistently, these results are larger among women and non-actively employed caregivers (17pp increase in happiness). Estimates are not driven by selection into caregiving (we find similar wellbeing effects among caregivers at baseline and caregivers throughout the sample), and are driven by income effects of FPC among caregivers. |
| Keywords: | caregiver's wellbeing, subjective wellbeing, long-term care subsidies, caregiving, Scotland |
| JEL: | J22 |
| Date: | 2022–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15369&r= |
| By: | Manuela Ortega Gil (Department of General Economy, University Institute of Research in Social Sustainable Development (INDESS), University of Cadiz, Spain) |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the relationship between wellbeing and governments’ fiscal policies across the world, including government decentralization, over the period between 1999 and 2018. In contrast to the previous literature on wellbeing, the current paper investigates four forms of life satisfaction (SL) as the dependent variable and tries to answer whether different types of public spending program, different types of taxes and the level of fiscal decentralization influence wellbeing as measured by life satisfaction. The analysis uses survey data from two sources of life satisfaction variables: The World Values Survey and the European Values Survey, both of which use a ten-level SL scale. I treat these satisfaction values in four ways, resulting in four robust models (two logit models, one Ordinary Least Squares model and one stereotype logistic model). The same control variables and fixed effects are used in all models. The results indicate that personal individual taxes, labor taxation (income and payroll taxes), indirect taxes on goods and expenditures on environmental protection and education have a significant and positive effect on life satisfaction in all four models. Likewise in all four models, taxes on property and expenditures on health and culture are significant and negative. Furthermore, while increased decentralization (in the form of greater vertical fiscal imbalance and expenditure decentralization) improves the likelihood of having a life satisfaction greater than six (of ten), the effect of transfers to subnational governments’ own revenue is significant and negative in all models. |
| Date: | 2021–10–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper2114&r= |
| By: | Chairina Hanum Siregar (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Muhammad Rifqi Aufari (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Hamdan Bintara (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Raka Rizky Fadilla (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Wildan Al Kautsar Anky (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Nia Kurnia Sholihah (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Lovina Aisha Malika Putri (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Alin Halimatussadiah (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)); Jahen Fachrul Rizki (Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI)) |
| Abstract: | Many workers in Indonesia experienced job loss and decreasing income during the pandemic of COVID-19. These phenomena have a tremendous impact on workers since they were affected by economic losses and worsened their mental health. To help the worker, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) is releasing Kartu Prakerja program (Pre-employment Card), an on-demand and self-targeting program.This study investigates the impact of Kartu Prakerja program on people’s mental health conditions. We use online survey data collected from 4000 respondents from all over Indonesia in August–September 2020. Our main independent variables are mental health-related variables, such as happiness, sadness, anxiety, and anger level. By using ordered logistic regression, this study shows a positive andsignificant relationship between people who are receiving Kartu Prakerja on their sadness, anxiety, and anger level. Receiving Kartu Prakerja could reduce their sadness, anxiety and anger level. Whereas it does not affect their happiness levels. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19 — kartu prakerja — mental health — indonesia |
| JEL: | I18 I19 I38 |
| Date: | 2022 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lpe:wpaper:202270&r= |
| By: | Perona, Mathieu |
| Abstract: | D’un confinement à l’autre, l’année 2020 a été marquée par des variations importantes dans l’évaluation que les Français ont de leur bien-être. Alors que le mois de juin marquait un point haut pour la plupart de nos indicateurs, décembre 2020 – avec une enquête intégralement conduite pendant le second confinement, marque un repli par rapport à juin. D’un côté, les dimensions relatives à l’état émotionnel semblent très fortement affectées par la situation de confinement : anxiété face à la situation sanitaire, isolement relationnel forcé, arrêt d’un grand nombre d’activités pèsent sur le bien-être des ménages. D’un autre côté, la satisfaction à l’égard du niveau de vie, reflétant plus les conditions matérielles, ou encore celle à l’égard du travail restent relativement élevées. Ainsi, si la satisfaction dans la vie, qui combine tous ces éléments, se replie nettement, il ne fait pour l’instant que retrouver son niveau moyen d’avant la pandémie. Ces mouvements opposés des différentes composantes du bien-être suggèrent ainsi que l’épidémie a rendu plus saillantes les dimensions non-matérielles du bien-être, en particulier le rôle joué par les relations sociales. |
| Keywords: | Bien-être, conjoncture, covid-19, France |
| Date: | 2021–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpm:notobe:2101&r= |
| By: | Adriana Camacho-González; Jorge Enrique Caputo-Leyva; Fabio Sánchez-Torres |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the effect of the Free Housing Program (PVG) on the well-being of beneficiary households. This program is an initiative of the Colombian Government to provide free houses to the most vulnerable households in the country. To estimate causal impacts of the program, we exploit that 38% of the beneficiaries were selected through housing lotteries. We show that most of recipients still reside in the houses provided in the program (5-6 years after the housing lotteries), which have adequate conditions of structure, space, and access to public services. Also, we show that program improves the labor conditions of beneficiary households, either through greater labor participation (in women), or by changing the type of work or economic sector (in men) and even earning more income (both). As a result of the previous impacts, the beneficiary households were able to restructure their expenses, acquire more durable goods, save more money, and escape extreme poverty. The main mechanism that explains these results is that the beneficiaries were relocated to places with a greater provision of public goods, closer proximity to complementary services and more economic activity. |
| Keywords: | free public housing, poverty, employment, income |
| JEL: | I38 J22 O18 R28 R31 |
| Date: | 2022–07–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000089:020303&r= |