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on Health Economics |
| By: | Krekó, Judit; Prinz, Daniel; Weber, Andrea |
| Abstract: | In most disability insurance programs, beneficiaries lose some or all of their benefits if they earn above an earnings threshold. While intended to screen out applicants with high remaining working capacity, earnings limits can also distort the labor supply of beneficiaries. This paper develops a simple framework to evaluate this trade-off. It uses a reduction in the earnings limit in Hungary to examine screening and labor supply responses. The findings show that the policy changed selection into the program modestly, but it reduced labor supply significantly. Viewed through the lens of the model, these findings suggest that the earnings threshold should be higher. |
| Date: | 2023–02–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10325 |
| By: | Forth, John (City St George's, University of London); Jones, Melanie K. (Cardiff University) |
| Abstract: | We assess the extent to which the UK disability pay gap is a consequence of the distribution of workers across firms and within-firm disability pay gaps. We do so by applying decomposition methods to newly-linked data which matches high quality information from employer payroll records to Census data on disability. Our findings indicate that the distribution of disabled and non-disabled employees across firms acts to reinforce within-firm disability-related pay inequality in England and Wales. However, both the disability pay gap and unexplained disability pay gap predominately exist within rather than between firms, supporting the introduction of employer disability pay gap reporting in the UK. |
| Keywords: | disability pay gap, wage discrimination, linked employer-employee data |
| JEL: | J31 J71 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17679 |
| By: | Battaglia, Emily (University of Delaware); Brown, Jessica H. (University of South Carolina) |
| Abstract: | Pregnancy accommodation laws require "reasonable accommodations" for pregnant workers, i.e., sitting down, lifting restrictions, and additional bathroom breaks. Although these laws may make it easier for women to remain employed during pregnancy, as a mandated benefit, they may also discourage employers from hiring employees who may become pregnant. We estimate the effect of pregnancy accommodation laws on labor market outcomes for women of childbearing age in order to determine whether these laws lead employers to discriminate against young women in hiring. Using a triple differences design comparing women's and men's labor market outcomes throughout the staggered roll-out of thirteen pregnancy accommodation laws from 2013 to 2016, we find no overall impact on female employment and wages. Under some specifications, we find women are more likely to choose occupations where physical abilities are important, suggesting possible increased accessibility. For subgroups more likely to be impacted - those with less education, in more physically-intense occupations, and married without children - we do find modest declines in earnings and employment. That the burden falls on both suggests women value the benefit but at less than it costs to provide. |
| Keywords: | pregnancy accommodations, mandated benefits |
| JEL: | K31 J32 I18 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17688 |
| By: | Moschion, Julie (University of Queensland); van Ours, Jan C. (Erasmus School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Using a sample of disadvantaged Australians, we compare trajectories of those who left school before 18 with those who left later, in terms of homelessness, incarceration, substance use and mental health issues. We estimate a staggered difference-in-difference to account for heterogenous treatment effects across cohorts and time. Results indicate that leaving school before 18 increases males' likelihood of experiencing homelessness, being incarcerated, using cannabis daily and illegal street drugs weekly several years after school-leaving. In contrast, for females the difference-in-difference strategy eliminates the correlations between school-leaving age and their outcomes. We also show that while parental separation and other adverse behaviours coincide with early school-leaving, our results are robust to accounting for these, providing support for a causal interpretation of our findings. |
| Keywords: | education, homelessness, substance use, incarceration, mental health, Australia |
| JEL: | C23 I12 I24 I32 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17702 |
| By: | Prodromidis, Nikolaos (University of Duisburg-Essen); Karlsson, Martin (University of Duisburg-Essen); Kühnle, Daniel (University of Duisburg-Essen) |
| Abstract: | Despite the importance of regulating working hours for workers' health and maintaining labour productivity, the literature lacks credible causal estimates on the impact of reduced working hours. We provide new evidence for the causal effect of shorter workweeks on mortality using full population register data, exploiting a nationwide policy in Sweden that reduced the weekly working hours from 55 to 48 hours for certain occupations only in 1920. Using difference-in-differences and event-study models, we show that lower working hours decreased mortality by around 15% over the first six years. We identify several mechanisms behind this effect: the policy led to fewer workplace accidents, a decline in work-related disability, and a reduction in sick days taken by employees. Causal forest estimators indicate particularly strong effects for older workers. Our results imply that many lives could be saved worldwide by reducing long working hours for labour-intensive occupations. |
| Keywords: | working hours, employment legislation, mortality, Sweden |
| JEL: | I18 I18 J10 J81 N14 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17707 |
| By: | Amaya, Elard (University of Turin); Aparicio Fenoll, Ainoa (University of Turin); Mendolia, Silvia (University of Turin) |
| Abstract: | Among Latin American countries, Peru has one of the highest crime rates, with 9 out of 10 Peruvians reporting feeling unsafe walking the streets at night. This rooted-in-reality feeling of insecurity may harm citizens' mental health. We study the consequences of the Peruvian Safe Neighborhood program, which increased police patrolling in selected neighborhoods, on the mental health of residents. We exploit the program's staggered implementation and use data from the Demographic and Health Survey to precisely geolocate the respondents' residencies. Our results show that enhanced crime prevention reduced the incidence of mental health problems by 6 percentage points. In particular, the program reduced depression, tiredness, concentration problems, suicide intentions, and sense of failure by 3–4 percentage points. The evidence suggests that improvements in mental health are driven by tangible changes in health-related behaviors. Following the implementation of Safe Neighborhood, there is an increase in healthcare utilization. |
| Keywords: | crime prevention, mental health |
| JEL: | K42 I15 I31 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17697 |
| By: | Carcillo, Stéphane (Sciences Po); Valfort, Marie-Anne (Paris School of Economics); Vergara Merino, Pedro (CREST-ENSAE) |
| Abstract: | This paper presents the first rigorous evaluation of school-based interventions aimed at reducing LGBTphobia. We focus on a classroom intervention that addresses the issue of LGBT harassment through perspective-taking and narrative exchange. Using a field experiment in France with more than 10, 000 middle and high school students, we find robust evidence of strong positive effects, with variations across gender, age, and socio-economic status. We argue that changing perceptions of group norms is a key channel driving these heterogeneous effects. |
| Keywords: | LGBT, discrimination, social norms |
| JEL: | C93 J15 J16 J71 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17683 |
| By: | Budría, Santiago (Universidad Nebrija); Li Donni, Paolo (Università degli Studi di Milano); Zucchelli, Eugenio (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) |
| Abstract: | Energy poverty and health appear to be closely related, yet robust evidence on whether and how they mutually influence each other over time is still limited. We employ a dynamic latent class model on rich longitudinal data from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey to uncover patterns of dynamic interdependence between energy poverty and ill-health. Our approach integrates key modelling features, such as state dependence and time-varying unobserved heterogeneity, while also revealing and quantifying mechanisms of joint dependence over time. Unlike previous studies, our model shows that although energy poverty and ill-health seem to mutually influence each other, the effect of ill-health on energy poverty appears to be comparatively larger, suggesting that ill-health might be a stepping stone to energy poverty. In addition, we identify three main types of individuals corresponding to different socioeconomic profiles and varying levels of vulnerability to changes in energy prices. These findings may indicate the need for targeted interventions rather than exclusive reliance on energy subsidies. |
| Keywords: | energy poverty, health, dynamic latent class models, HILDA |
| JEL: | C33 C35 I31 I32 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17678 |
| By: | Schüller, Simone (German Youth Institute (DJI)) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates whether (and how) working from home (WFH) affects the gender division of parental unpaid labor. I use the recent COVID-19 pandemic that brought an unanticipated yet lasting shift to WFH combined with a measure of occupational WFH feasibility (Alipour et al. 2023) as a quasi-experiment to employ an instrumental variable (IV) approach and estimate causal effects. I use unique longitudinal data from the "Growing up in Germany" ( AID:A) panel study, which administered a prepandemic wave in 2019, and a post-pandemic wave in 2023. AID:A contains rich information on mothers' and fathers' time use for work, commuting, childcare, and housework. I find that the most robust effects emerge for paternal WFH intensity (at least weekly WFH) on parental division of housework: families in which fathers start weekly WFH in the period 2019 to 2023—due to their occupational WFH capacity in combination with the pandemic WFH-boost—experience a significant decrease in the maternal share of parental housework. Interestingly, this shift appears to be mainly driven by a reduction of maternal time use for housework (combined with an increase of her work hours) and less by an increase in paternal time use for housework suggesting crossparent effects of WFH. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19, gender equality, time use, housework, childcare, working from home, AID:A panel survey |
| JEL: | D13 I31 J13 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17694 |
| By: | Oguso, Alex; Ochieng', James; Remcho, Nathan; Eldrup, Magnus; Chemnyongoi, Hellen |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the excise taxation systems for alcohol products in Kenya, focusing on optimizing tax policy to enhance revenue generation and further mitigate negative externalities. Utilizing a proprietary elasticity estimation nuanced by a literature review to generate joint Laffer curves, we identify potential adjustments that could increase government revenue without causing significant market disruptions. Our findings suggest that there is a scope to raise taxes on alcohol products, which could not only boost fiscal income but also improve public health outcomes by discouraging excessive consumption. The paper proposes practical mechanisms that include a move to alcohol content-based excise system for taxation of alcoholic products in Kenya. The recommendations in the paper highlight the potential for excise taxes to contribute to economic growth and public welfare in Kenya while emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement and data-driven policy making. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aer:wpaper:dcf8da2b-9b7c-4da1-8914-745bbabd58f2 |
| By: | Flynn, James (Miami University) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the effect of Tobacco 21 laws, which raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases to 21, on prenatal smoking and birth outcomes using restricted access data from the National Vital Statistics System. Using both the synthetic difference-in-differences and stacked event-study designs, I fail to find evidence that these laws reduced prenatal smoking or cause any improvement on birth outcomes. I am able to rule out even modest decreases in prenatal smoking of greater than 6% on the extensive margin and greater than 5% on the intensive margin. Results are unchanged if I focus only on non-high school graduate mothers, who smoke at much higher rates at baseline, or if I focus solely on states which passed the toughest laws. My findings suggest that T21 laws may not be an effective policy tool to prevent prenatal smoking. |
| Keywords: | Tobacco 21, prenatal smoking, minimum legal sale age |
| JEL: | I12 I18 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17705 |
| By: | Kumar, Santosh (University of Notre Dame); Halliday, Timothy J. (University of Hawaii at Manoa); Mazumder, Bhash (University of California, Irvine) |
| Abstract: | We provide the first estimates of broad-based health transmission between parents and their young children in India. The correlations between maternal health and child health outcomes—such as anemia, stunting, and body mass index—are approximately 0.20. When aggregating these health measures into a general index of latent health, we estimate a correlation of 0.22, comparable to intergenerational persistence estimates in other countries. Absolute health mobility is lower for poorer households and for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. We document significant geographic heterogeneity in health transmission, lower mobility in northern and central India, and higher mobility in the southern regions. Consistent with this pattern, states with higher poverty rates and higher anemia prevalence tend to exhibit lower upward mobility. |
| Keywords: | intergenerational mobility, anemia, stunting, latent health, nutrition, India |
| JEL: | I14 I15 O12 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17684 |
| By: | Lo Bue, Maria C.; Perova, Elizaveta; Reynolds, Sarah |
| Abstract: | Maternal work may affect children positively through increased household income, higher control of mothers over available income, and expansion of maternal information networks through work contacts and greater decision-making power of mothers as they become more economically empowered. However, maternal work may reduce maternal time spent with children. If maternal time is not substituted for time of equal quality by other caregivers, children’s development may be penalized. Stress associated with work may also decrease the quality of parenting. This review summarizes causal evidence on the relationship between maternal work and children’s development. The majority causal studies find positive or 0 impacts of maternal work on children’s development. |
| Date: | 2023–02–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10305 |
| By: | Thiers, Fabio A. (Convergen AI); Lucy, Kimberly |
| Abstract: | Policymakers are determined to regulate clinical Generative AI (GenAI) solutions, but progress has been hampered by the commingling with regulatory approaches originally designed for Narrow AI (NarAI). This article clarifies this matter by describing the distinctive function and risk profile of GenAI models in healthcare settings. It elaborates why regulatory frameworks crafted for NarAI oversight are not adequate for GenAI because of their distinct nature. A first principle analysis is then used to delineate the pivotal role that healthcare organizations will need to take in GenAI oversight. Finally, it describes a distinct approach to clinical GenAI regulation that combines centralized benchmarking of GenAI models with the ISO/IEC 42001 certification of AI Management Systems (AIMS) implemented in healthcare organizations. |
| Date: | 2024–08–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:vm6zy_v1 |
| By: | Ham, Andres; Vazquez, Emmanuel Jose; Yanez Pagans, Monica |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the effects of differential exposure to COVID-19 on educational outcomes in Guatemala. The government adopted a warning index (ranging from 0 to 10) to classify municipalities by infection rates in 2020, which was then used by the Ministry of Education in 2021 to establish a “stoplight” system for in-person instruction. Using administrative panel data for all students in Guatemala, the study employs a difference-in-differences strategy that leverages municipal differences over time in the warning index to estimate the effects of the pandemic on dropout, promotion, and school switching. The results show that municipalities with a higher warning index had significantly larger dropout, lower promotion rates, and a greater share of students switching from private to public schools. These effects were more pronounced during the first year of the pandemic. The findings show differential effects by the level of instruction, with greater losses for younger children in initial and primary education. The results are robust to specification choice, multiple hypothesis adjustments, and placebo experiments, suggesting that the pandemic has had heterogeneous consequences. |
| Date: | 2023–02–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10308 |
| By: | Morales, Manuel |
| Abstract: | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been nominated by President Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Kennedy’s qualifications for this role do not align with the administrative experience and scientific background typically expected for such a position. However, he may be deemed suitable due to his willingness to challenge scientific principles that have been empirically compromised since 2000 by the discovery of two nonlocal mechanisms essential for conducting all local experiments. As the head of the expansive DHHS, with a $2.4 trillion budget, Kennedy would be in a position to help advance and fund scientific research and development inclusive of the missing variables currently absent from empirical studies. |
| Date: | 2025–01–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:uxzwv_v1 |
| By: | Brunckhorst, Ben James; Cojocaru, Alexandru; Hill, Ruth; Kim, Yeon Soo; Kugler, Maurice David |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the welfare impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, using harmonized data from 343 high-frequency phone surveys conducted in 80 economies during 2020 and 2021, representing more than 2.5 billion people. The analysis focuses on the scarring effects of the initial losses of employment and income by examining their evolution over time across and within countries, as restrictions on mobility and economic activity were introduced and then gradually relaxed. The employment and welfare outcomes of some groups that were impacted to a greater degree initially—including women, informal workers, and those with less education—have been improving at a slower pace. The social protection response in lower-income economies was largely insufficient to protect households from the pandemic shock. Unmitigated welfare losses, as seen for example from the large share of households indicating income losses well into 2021, are highly correlated with food insecurity, which likely led some households to sell physical assets and deplete their savings. Without proper remediation, the uneven welfare impacts associated with COVID-19 may be amplified over the medium to long term, leading to future increases in poverty and inequality. |
| Date: | 2023–02–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10300 |