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on Economics of Happiness |
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Issue of 2024‒08‒19
ten papers chosen by Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca |
| By: | Kelsey J. O'Connor |
| Abstract: | The immigrant (foreign-born) population increased by 32 million in total across 37 European countries from 1990 to 2019. Much of this movement was from east to west. Indeed, both the total and foreign-born populations declined in the former Eastern Bloc over this period. Such demographic shifts could be expected to affect both the immigrant destination and origin countries in diverse ways. However, we find no evidence of positive or negative impacts on aggregate subjective well-being, among both the destination and origin countries. Immigrants, in contrast, experienced increased well-being, converted to monetary terms, in excess of £25, 000 per person. Previous research had reduced scopes, e.g., covering destination countries or impacts on income only. We offer more comprehensive evidence, in terms of country and period, and by assessing impacts on subjective well-being, which implicitly includes all of the factors perceived to be important to people, both economic and non-economic. |
| Keywords: | immigration, emigration, migrants, life satisfaction, happiness |
| JEL: | I31 J15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1461 |
| By: | Hoskins, Stephen (Singapore Management University); Johnston, David W. (Monash University); Kunz, Johannes S. (Monash University); Shields, Michael A. (Monash University); Staub, Kevin E. (University of Melbourne) |
| Abstract: | Using a high-frequency panel survey, we examine the sensitivity of estimated self-reported well-being (SWB) dynamics to using monthly, quarterly, and yearly data. This is an important issue if SWB is to be used to evaluate policy. Results from autoregressive models that account for individual-level heterogeneity indicate that the estimated persistence using yearly data is near zero. However, estimated persistence from monthly and quarterly data is substantial. We estimate that persistence to shocks typically lasts around six months and has a net present value of 75-80 per cent of the contemporaneous effect. Estimates are similar for different domains of SWB. |
| Keywords: | well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, dynamic panel data, panel autoregression, adaptation, persistence |
| JEL: | I1 I3 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17101 |
| By: | Yuta Kuroda; Takaki Sato; Yasumasa Matsuda |
| Abstract: | This study examines the role of local social capital, individual personality, and their interaction on changes in subjective well-being (SWB) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our estimations use tracking panel data based on a unique survey of approximately 25, 000 people in Japan from 2019 to 2022. The results show that before the pandemic, individuals with high prosociality had higher SWB, whereas individuals with low and moderate levels of prosociality had no significant difference in SWB. Additionally, the relationship between individual prosociality and local social capital did not affect SWB. However, after the pandemic, the SWB of non-prosocial individuals changed heterogeneously depending on the level of local social capital. Non-prosocial individuals in areas with high social capital showed little change in SWB, whereas non-prosocial individuals in areas with low social capital showed significantly decreased SWB. These results may be caused by the possibility of free-riding on the reduced risk of infection due to the preventive actions of others in areas with high social capital. |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:toh:dssraa:142 |
| By: | O'Connor, Kelsey J. (STATEC Research – National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies); Bartolini, Stefano (University of Siena) |
| Abstract: | Schools are ripe for policy intervention. We demonstrate that a greater prevalence of group discussion used in schools positively affects students' life satisfaction and noncognitive skills but has no impact on test scores, based on a sample from the 2015 PISA which includes more than 35 thousand students from approximately 1500 schools in 14 countries. We perform regressions of student life satisfaction on school-level group discussion and lecturing, including a battery of controls and random intercepts by school. For robustness we use instrumental variables and methods to account for school-selection. The impact of group discussion is meaningful – a one-standard-deviation increase leads to an increase in life satisfaction that is about one-half of the negative-association with grade repetition. In contrast, lecturing does not have any effects. We are the first to show group discussion improves student life satisfaction and noncognitive skills, and thereby likely positively affects later-life outcomes. |
| Keywords: | participatory teaching, test scores, noncognitive skills, teaching practices, subjective well-being, horizontal teaching |
| JEL: | I21 I31 J24 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17145 |
| By: | Gupta, Shivani |
| Keywords: | Labor And Human Capital, Health Economics And Policy, Research Methods/Statistical Methods |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea22:343718 |
| By: | Bednarik, Zuzana |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes how education and other demographic characteristics are associated with the level of happiness in two geographical regions: the North Central Region and the Northeast Region. Using cross-sectional data from two regional datasets, NCR-Stat: Caregiving Survey and NER-Stat: Caregiving Survey, potential disparities between the regions in the impact of education on happiness are examined. The results suggest that education has direct and indirect (through income) effects on happiness. The direct effect shows that respondents with higher education are more likely to report higher levels of happiness in both regions but at different rates. Location and other demographic characteristics influence an individual’s happiness and reduce the direct effect and significance of education, although differently, in both regions. Income might contribute more to happiness levels in both regions than education. However, regional disparities were identified as education lost its explanatory power of happiness only in the NCR. |
| Keywords: | Consumer/Household Economics, Financial Economics, Health Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2024–07–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ncrcrd:344483 |
| By: | Sylvie Blasco (Université de Caen); Julie Rochu (Caisse nationale d'assurance vieillesse and Institut national d'études démographiques); Benedicte Rouland (Auckland University of Technology) |
| Abstract: | Using French survey data on working conditions, we document the existing relationships between workers' well- being, work organization, and human resources' practices that may lead to greater intensity but also greater job decision latitude. The relationships between intensity, autonomy, and workers' well-being are |
| Date: | 2024–06–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:boc:fsug24:01 |
| By: | Richard Layard |
| Abstract: | Wellbeing should be the overarching aim of government. Assessing policies by showing the wellbeing benefit relative to cost would mean mental health becoming a top priority for policy development. |
| Keywords: | Election 2024, Election2024, Wellbeing, UK Economy |
| Date: | 2024–06–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepeap:063 |
| By: | Becot, Florence; Inwood, Shoshanah; Southard, Emily |
| Keywords: | Labor and Human Capital |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ncrcrd:344226 |
| By: | Perona, Mathieu |
| Abstract: | La vague de juin de notre baromètre du bien-être en France est marquée par une amélioration de la satisfaction quant à la vie en général, à la situation matérielle et les perspectives d’avenir individuel. Cette embellie est particulièrement forte chez les hommes, beaucoup plus modérée chez les femmes. En revanche, les dimensions collectives font l’objet d’une dégradation : les relations avec les proches ainsi que le sentiment d’avoir quelqu’un sur qui compter sont en repli, tandis que l’appréciation des perspectives de la prochaine génération en France chute à nouveau. |
| Keywords: | France, Well-Being, Conjoncture, Bien-être |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpm:notobe:2410 |