Wellbeing – wie Lebensqualität, Arbeit und Einkommen zusammenhängen
Das Streben nach Glück ist ein zentrales Element im Leben, wobei das individuelle Wohlbefinden sowohl persönliche als auch gesellschaftliche Ursachen hat. Welchen Einfluss haben Wirtschaftsentwicklung, Einkommen, der berufliche Werdegang oder Arbeitslosigkeitserfahrungen auf die subjektive Lebensqualität eines Menschen?
Dieses Themendossier bietet hierzu aktuelle Literatur und Projekthinweise.
Im Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.
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Literaturhinweis
Differential Life Satisfaction in a German Representative Sample (2025)
Zitatform
Arnold, Christopher & Beate Muschalla (2025): Differential Life Satisfaction in a German Representative Sample. In: International journal of environmental research and public health, Jg. 22, H. 1. DOI:10.3390/ijerph22010105
Abstract
"Life satisfaction includes various aspects, such as satisfaction with work, family, environment, and finances, and is influenced by sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors. This representative study investigates differential life satisfaction in the general population and its associations with sociodemographics. The study used a cross-sectional design with 2522 German participants, collected via face-to-face interviews and three-stage random sampling, assessing satisfaction across 17 life areas with the Differential Life Burden Scale. Overall life satisfaction was high (M = 4.46, scale from 1 to 6). Although globally satisfied, most participants (84.2%) named at least one negative area of life. Politics and environment were perceived as dissatisfying (M = 3.1; M = 3.81, respectively); social contacts and leisure time were evaluated as rather satisfying (M about 5.00). Age, income, and unemployment were associated with life satisfaction. Gender and age were differently associated with life domains: Older people were less satisfied with their health. Younger people were more satisfied with leisure time. Younger were less satisfied with their children than older participants. The German population is generally satisfied with life, though factors like age, unemployment, and income influence the number of negatively perceived life domains. This highlights the importance of evaluating specific life areas in addition to overall life satisfaction for a more comprehensive understanding." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Detach to Thrive: Psychological Detachment from Work and Employee Well-Being (2025)
Zitatform
Baktash, Mehrzad B. & Lisa Pütz (2025): Detach to Thrive: Psychological Detachment from Work and Employee Well-Being. In: Journal of happiness studies, Jg. 26, H. 4. DOI:10.1007/s10902-025-00883-7
Abstract
"Psychological detachment from work implies mentally disconnecting from work during off-job time. Using representative longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we identify psychological detachment from work as a key driver of employee well-being. This finding holds for a broad set of well-being indicators, including emotional responses, job satisfaction, life domain satisfactions, and global life satisfaction. Importantly, heterogeneity analyses reveal that detachment affects different subgroups of employees to a similar extent, indicating that the impact of detachment on employee well-being is universal. We further find that detachment mattered for employee well-being before as well as during the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, organizations and policy makers could foster psychological detachment to increase employee well-being. Given that employees nowadays search for happiness at work, ensuring psychological detachment becomes also relevant in the war for talent." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Einsamkeit in Deutschland: die gefährdetste Gruppe sind Menschen mit niedrigem Einkommen (2025)
Entringer, Theresa; Stacherl, Barbara; Kumrow, Linda;Zitatform
Entringer, Theresa, Linda Kumrow & Barbara Stacherl (2025): Einsamkeit in Deutschland: die gefährdetste Gruppe sind Menschen mit niedrigem Einkommen. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 92, H. 5, S. 59-67. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2025-5-1
Abstract
"Einsamkeit stellt ein ernstzunehmendes Gesundheitsrisiko dar. Sie beeinträchtigt die Lebensqualität und kann sogar die Lebensdauer verkürzen. Diese Studie untersucht Einsamkeit in Deutschland basierend auf den aktuellen Daten des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) zur Einsamkeit aus dem Jahr 2021. Die Analysen beleuchten die Verbreitung verschiedener Facetten von Einsamkeit (Alleinsein, Isolation, Ausgeschlossenheit) sowie regionale Unterschiede und besonders betroffene Personengruppen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich 19 Prozent der in Deutschland lebenden Menschen manchmal oder häufiger einsam fühlen. Vor der Pandemie waren es lediglich 14 Prozent. Regionale Unterschiede existieren ohne das Ost-West-Muster, das in früheren Studien zu erkennen war: Im Westen und Süden Deutschlands kommt jetzt das Gefühl, Gesellschaft zu vermissen, häufiger vor als im Osten. Besonders einsam sind Menschen mit einem Einkommen, das unterhalb des Medians liegt, vor allem wenn sie dazu männlich sind und einen Migrationshintergrund haben. Aufklärungskampagnen und Maßnahmen, die zur Prävention von Einsamkeit angesichts der Gesundheitsrisiken erforderlich sind, sollten diese Befunde berücksichtigen und zielgerichtet erfolgen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
Englische Version -
Literaturhinweis
Poor psychosocial work environment: a ticket to retirement? Variations by gender and education (2025)
Eyjólfsdóttir, Harpa S. ; Herlofson, Katharina ; Pedersen, Axel West ; Veenstra, Marijke ; Lennartsson, Carin ; Hellevik, Tale ;Zitatform
Eyjólfsdóttir, Harpa S., Tale Hellevik, Katharina Herlofson, Axel West Pedersen, Carin Lennartsson & Marijke Veenstra (2025): Poor psychosocial work environment: a ticket to retirement? Variations by gender and education. In: European Journal of Ageing, Jg. 22. DOI:10.1007/s10433-025-00855-z
Abstract
"Many countries, including Norway, are implementing policies to delay retirement and encourage older workers to remain in the labour market. Improving psychosocial working conditions may motivate older workers to continue working. While research has linked psychosocial working characteristics to retirement intentions and work exit, there is a knowledge gap regarding gender and socioeconomic differences in these influences. This study investigates the impact of psychosocial working characteristics on employment exit among older workers, examining variations by gender and educational attainment. Data were drawn from the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing, and Generation study (NorLAG) collected in 2007 and 2017 (N = 2,065) linked to income register data for four subsequent years. Time-to-event analyses revealed that poorer psychosocial working environment increased the likelihood of employment exit. For women, low autonomy was significant, while for men significant associations were found for high job stress, low job variety, lack of appreciation, limited learning opportunities, accumulation of poor job resources, and job strain. Interaction analysis showed only significant gender differences for few learning opportunities and poor job resources. Separate analyses stratified by educational attainment showed no significant association for those with compulsory education, while those with higher levels of education were more likely to retire if faced with low job variety, low autonomy, and poor job resources–yet interaction analysis showed no significant differences. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at delaying retirement should consider gender and socioeconomic differences, providing older workers with more control over their tasks and equitable access to learning opportunities and resources." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
A longitudinal path analysis of the reciprocal and cyclical relationships between sickness absence, job demands, job resources, and burnout (2025)
Gottenborg, Simon; Johnsen, Svein Åge Kjøs; Hoff, Thomas; Øvergård, Kjell Ivar; Rydstedt, Leif;Zitatform
Gottenborg, Simon, Thomas Hoff, Svein Åge Kjøs Johnsen, Leif Rydstedt & Kjell Ivar Øvergård (2025): A longitudinal path analysis of the reciprocal and cyclical relationships between sickness absence, job demands, job resources, and burnout. In: Frontiers in psychology, Jg. 16. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557898
Abstract
"Aim: This study investigates the longitudinal reciprocal cyclical impact of sickness absence on perceived job demands and job resources, as well as its indirect effects on future burnout and further sickness absence. Design and methods: A four-wave longitudinal survey design was employed, with sickness absence data collected at Time 1 and Time 3 and questionnaires assessing psychosocial work environment factors administered at Time 2 and Time 4. Sample: A total of 272 employees from several Norwegian organizations participated in the study. Results: The results provided evidence of a reciprocal longitudinal negative path coefficient between sickness and perceived job resources, while the path coefficient related to job demands was small and non-significant. Additionally, a cyclical reciprocal effect was identified, following the pathway: sickness absence -> job resources -> burnout -> sickness absence, thereby supporting the JD-R model’s predictive capability regarding sickness absenteeism. This implies that sickness absence may lead to a perceived loss of job resources, which subsequently exacerbates burnout and results in further sickness absence over time. Contribution: This study contributes to psychological theory by enhancing the understanding of the longitudinal and reciprocal effects of sickness absence on perceived job characteristics. It also expands the longitudinal evidence base demonstrating burnout’s predictive effect on sickness absence." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Performance Management in deutschen Betrieben: Leistungsorientierung lohnt sich - aber nur mit kollektiven Zielen (2025)
Zitatform
Grunau, Philipp, Patrick Kampkötter & Kevin Ruf (2025): Performance Management in deutschen Betrieben: Leistungsorientierung lohnt sich - aber nur mit kollektiven Zielen. (IAB-Kurzbericht 11/2025), Nürnberg, 8 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2511
Abstract
"Unternehmen sind mit ständigem Wandel und wachsendem Wettbewerbsdruck konfrontiert, was auch das Personalmanagement betrifft. Außerdem verändert sich der Arbeitsalltag für viele Beschäftigte, sodass die Instrumente des Performance Managements, insbesondere die traditionellen Leistungsbeurteilungs- und Vergütungspraktiken, zunehmend auf dem Prüfstand stehen. Entscheidend für Betriebe und Beschäftigte ist dabei unter anderem, ob und inwieweit diese Praktiken die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität beeinflussen. Die Autoren untersuchen in diesem Bericht Trends und Entwicklungen für die Jahre 2012 bis 2023 auf Basis des Linked Personnel Panels (LPP)." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
- Zusammenhang zwischen Instrumenten des betrieblichen Performance Managements und der wahrgenommenen Arbeitsqualität
- Vergütungsmix für Führungskräfte und Beschäftigte ohne Führungsverantwortung mit erfolgsabhängiger Vergütung
- Instrumente des betrieblichen Performance Managements
- Instrumente des betrieblichen Performance Managements im Zeitverlauf
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Literaturhinweis
The reciprocal within‐person relationship between job insecurity and life satisfaction: Testing loss and gain spirals with two large‐scale longitudinal studies (2025)
Zitatform
Jiang, Lixin, Xiaohong Xu, Elena Zubielevitch & Chris G. Sibley (2025): The reciprocal within‐person relationship between job insecurity and life satisfaction: Testing loss and gain spirals with two large‐scale longitudinal studies. In: International review of applied psychology, Jg. 74, H. 1. DOI:10.1111/apps.12599
Abstract
"Deriving from the loss and gain spirals of conservation of resources (COR) theory, this research attempts to understand the within-person, reciprocal relationship between job insecurity and life satisfaction. Using three independent samples from seven-wave, five-wave, and 21-wave annually collected data from New Zealand and Australia, and random intercept cross-lagged panel models, we find that (1) job insecurity has a negative concurrent relationship with life satisfaction at the between-person level; (2) job insecurity at an earlier time point has a negative relationship with life satisfaction and a positive relationship with job insecurity at a later time point, indicating that individuals facing an initial threat of resource losses are more prone to further resource depletion, supporting “loss spirals” in COR theory; and (3) life satisfaction at an earlier time point has a positive relationship with life satisfaction at a later time point, supporting “gain spiral” in COR theory. However, life satisfaction is not longitudinally related to job insecurity at a later time point, failing to support the reverse causality. By rigorously investigating the reciprocal within-person relationship between job insecurity and life satisfaction with two large-scale panel data sets, these findings strongly support the loss and gain spirals from COR theory." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Examining interindividual differences in unemployment-related changes in subjective well-being: The role of psychological well-being and re-employment expectations (2025)
Zitatform
Lawes, Mario, Clemens Hetschko, Ronnie Schöb, Gesine Stephan & Michael Eid (2025): Examining interindividual differences in unemployment-related changes in subjective well-being: The role of psychological well-being and re-employment expectations. In: European Journal of Personality, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 24-45., 2024-01-21. DOI:10.1177/08902070241231315
Abstract
"This study examined whether the six trait-like dimensions of psychological well-being (e.g., autonomy and environmental mastery) moderate the effects of unemployment on various facets of subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, satisfaction with life domains, and experienced mood). Further, re-employment expectations during unemployment were investigated as a moderator in this context. The study is based on monthly panel data (Nobservations > 23,000) of two samples of initially employed German jobseekers, who either registered as jobseekers due to (i) mass layoffs or plant closures (N = 552) or (ii) other reasons (N = 988). The results indicate substantial interindividual differences in unemployment-related changes across all examined subjective well-being facets. However, dimensions of psychological well-being did generally not moderate these changes. Only in one unemployment context, environmental mastery was positively related to unemployment-related mood changes. Good re-employment expectations were related to increases in several well-being facets (e.g., leisure satisfaction) compared to being employed, whereas poor re-employment expectations were associated with particularly detrimental effects of unemployment in terms of life satisfaction. Overall, the study provides further evidence that (perceived) contextual features of unemployment seem to be particularly relevant for how individuals experience unemployment, whereas internal (coping) resources only seem to play a negligible role." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Diverging Paths? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Subjective Well-Being of the Solo Self-Employed and Employees in Germany (2019–2023) (2025)
Zitatform
Peters, Eileen, Merle Pohlmeyer & Karin Schulze Buschoff (2025): Diverging Paths? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Subjective Well-Being of the Solo Self-Employed and Employees in Germany (2019–2023). In: Social indicators research, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1007/s11205-025-03640-8
Abstract
"Previous research indicates that the self-employed have higher subjective well-being (SWB) than employees. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many self-employed individuals experienced exceptionally high levels of economic stress due to limited government and social security support. This is especially true of the solo self-employed (i.e., self-employed without employees). Drawing on nationally representative panel data spanning the years 2019–2023—and thus the onset, peak, and fading out of the pandemic—we used fixed-effects regression models to analyze the SWB trajectories of the solo self-employed and employees in Germany in terms of life satisfaction and job satisfaction. Our results show that SWB was only moderately affected in 2020 but declined steeply in 2021. Although life satisfaction recovered moderately in 2022 and 2023, it remained substantially lower than pre-pandemic levels. The life satisfaction of the solo self-employed decreased more strongly than that of employees in 2020 and 2021. Job satisfaction also saw a steep decline in 2021, with solo self-employed individuals experiencing a greater drop than employees. However, the job satisfaction of the solo self-employed returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, whereas that of employees continued to decline in 2022 and 2023. These insights shed light on how the SWB of different employment groups was affected during this unprecedented crisis and provide valuable information for more effective interventions in future crises." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Is Job Satisfaction Related to Subjective Well-being? Causal Inference from Longitudinal Data (2025)
Zitatform
Prati, Gabriele (2025): Is Job Satisfaction Related to Subjective Well-being? Causal Inference from Longitudinal Data. In: Applied Research in Quality of Life, Jg. 20, H. 1, S. 133-160. DOI:10.1007/s11482-024-10400-2
Abstract
"Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between job satisfaction and subjective well-being, particularly life satisfaction, which aligns with the spillover theory. Moreover, according to the core self-evaluations theory, core self-evaluations are hypothesized to explain the relationship between job and subjective well-being and to have a causal role in job satisfaction and subjective well-being. The aim of the current study was (1) to test these predictions of self-evaluations theory and (2) to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and subjective well-being. Data from two national, representative longitudinal studies (i.e., the GESIS Panel study and the Swiss Household Panel study) were used. The participants consisted of approximately 20,000 individuals from Switzerland (Swiss Household Panel study) and 5,000 individuals from Germany (GESIS Panel study). A separate series of random intercept cross-lagged panel models revealed that job satisfaction and subjective well-being (except for happiness) were not reciprocally related across all study waves. Moreover, the relationship between job satisfaction and subjective well-being appears to reflect a trait-like property. Finally, core self-evaluations did not account for any part of the relationship between job and subjective well-being, and there was limited evidence that core self-evaluations can predict later subjective well-being. These results provide mixed support for both spillover and segmentation theories, as well as for some predictions of self-evaluations theory." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Insbesondere Arbeitslose sind mit Partner*in zufriedener als ohne (2025)
Zitatform
Prechsl, Sebastian (2025): Insbesondere Arbeitslose sind mit Partner*in zufriedener als ohne. In: IAB-Forum H. 24.06.2025 Nürnberg, 2025-06-19. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.GA.20250624.01
Abstract
"Die Zufriedenheit mit dem eigenen Leben ist bei Beschäftigten höher als bei Arbeitslosen. Hierbei zeigen sich allerdings Unterschiede in Abhängigkeit vom Partnerschaftsstatus. Bei Beschäftigten, aber insbesondere bei Arbeitslosen, die in einer Partnerschaft leben, fällt die Lebenszufriedenheit deutlich höher aus." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Semiparametric Bayesian estimation in an ordinal probit model with application to life satisfaction across countries, age and gender (2025)
Zitatform
Tobias, Justin L. & Timothy N. Bond (2025): Semiparametric Bayesian estimation in an ordinal probit model with application to life satisfaction across countries, age and gender. In: Journal of econometrics. DOI:10.1016/j.jeconom.2024.105917
Abstract
"We employ a novel semiparametric Bayesian ordinal probit model to re-examine the relationships between age and life satisfaction (“happiness”) across countries and gender. Within our ordinal choice framework we introduce a new scheme for cutpoint simulation and develop a locally adaptive method for smoothing an otherwise erratic collection of age dummy variable coefficients. We find strong evidence that employment status is deeply intertwined with the reported happiness of men, that employment status is relatively more important for men than it is for women, and that the common use of quadratic models to report ages when happiness is minimized can produce inference that is inaccurate and misleadingly precise. We also find evidence that refines the “U”-shaped pattern between age and happiness that has been reported and/or debated in this literature: For men in most of the European countries we consider, happiness is found to rise sharply before traditional retirement age and then into the beginning of retirement, followed by a flattening or decline in the right-tail of the age distribution. Often-used models that are quadratic in age fail to reproduce this pattern and are frequently at odds with the data." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Happy Work, Happy Life? A Replication and Comparison of the Longitudinal Effects Between Job and Life Satisfaction Using Continuous Time Meta‐Analysis (2025)
Wiese, Christopher W. ; Li, Yuhua; Tay, Louis ; Wille, Bart ; Vaziri, Hoda ; Chen, Job; Dormann, Christian ; Moran, Lauren H.;Zitatform
Wiese, Christopher W., Christian Dormann, Hoda Vaziri, Louis Tay, Bart Wille, Job Chen, Lauren H. Moran & Yuhua Li (2025): Happy Work, Happy Life? A Replication and Comparison of the Longitudinal Effects Between Job and Life Satisfaction Using Continuous Time Meta‐Analysis. In: Journal of organizational behavior, Jg. 46, H. 4, S. 487-511. DOI:10.1002/job.2861
Abstract
"Capturing the evolving journey of workers' well-being, our research unveils how the intertwined paths of job and life satisfaction shift and shape each other over time. We contribute to the field's understanding of the dynamic interplay between job and life satisfaction by exploring the time-bound nature of satisfaction, teasing apart the between- and within-person effects, and uncovering the relative strengths of these effects. Our findings (k = 28; N = 161 412) suggest that (1) job and life satisfaction are related to one another over time, (2) life satisfaction has a stronger effect (+32%) on future job satisfaction than the converse, (3) these effects peak around 17.2 months (between-person effects), and (4) effects peak at shorter intervals of 8.2 months when accounting for unobserved heterogeneity (within-person effects). In the latter case, the differences between the two effects were still significant, but the dominance of life satisfaction shrank from 32% to 8%. This investigation not only bridges critical gaps but also sets a new precedent for future research on the temporal dynamics of well-being, promising to transform theoretical perspectives and practical approaches alike." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Between-Firm Inequality and Informal Social Relations (2025)
Wilmers, Nathan E.; Zhang, Victoria; Tong, Di;Zitatform
Wilmers, Nathan E., Victoria Zhang & Di Tong (2025): Between-Firm Inequality and Informal Social Relations. In: American journal of sociology, Jg. 130, H. 5, S. 1217-1262. DOI:10.1086/734909
Abstract
"Employer investment, social closure, peer networks: substantial research highlights differences in informal social structure across workplaces. Yet studies of pay inequality between firms have largely neglected these differences in favor of more easily measurable features like firm size or ownership structure. We show how three types of workplace social relations shape firm pay setting: employer relational investment that supports higher wages, social closure as a source of bargaining power, and amenity ties that lock workers into jobs despite low pay. To operationalize these concepts, we draw on text data from a large archive of job reviews. Variance decomposition analyses show that differences in social relations account for up to 20% of overall inequality in between-firm pay premiums and 7% of residual inequality. Differences in informal social organization, and not just formal organization, predict pay differences between firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions (2024)
Zitatform
Ahlfeldt, Gabriel, Fabian Bald, Duncan Roth & Tobias Seidel (2024): Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 19769), London, 56 S.
Abstract
"Using a quantitative spatial model as a data-generating process, we explore how spatial frictions affect the measurement of quality of life. We find that under a canonical parameterization, mobility frictions - generated by idiosyncratic tastes and local ties - dominate trade frictions - generated by trade costs and non-tradable Services - as a source of measurement error in the Rosen-Roback framework. This non-classical measurement error leads to a downward bias in estimates of the urban quality-of-life premium. Our application to Germany reveals that accounting for spatial frictions results in larger quality-of-life differences, different quality-of-life rankings, and an urban quality-of-life premium that exceeds the urban wage premium." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions (2024)
Zitatform
Ahlfeldt, Gabriel, Fabian Bald, Duncan Roth & Tobias Seidel (2024): Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17549), Bonn, 56 S.
Abstract
"Using a quantitative spatial model as a data-generating process, we explore how spatial frictions affect the measurement of quality of life. We find that under a canonical parameterization, mobility frictions - generated by idiosyncratic tastes and local ties - dominate trade frictions - generated by trade costs and non-tradable services - as a source of measurement error in the Rosen-Roback framework. This non-classical measurement error leads to a downward bias in estimates of the urban quality-of-life premium. Our application to Germany reveals that accounting for spatial frictions results in larger quality-of-life differences, different quality-of-life rankings, and an urban quality-of-life premium that exceeds the urban wage premium." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions (2024)
Zitatform
Ahlfeldt, Gabriel, Fabian Bald, Duncan Roth & Tobias Seidel (2024): Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions. (Discussion paper / Berlin School of Economics 0057), Berlin, 56 S. DOI:10.48462/opus4-5676
Abstract
"Using a quantitative spatial model as a data-generating process, we explore how spatial frictions affect the measurement of quality of life. We find that under a canonical parameterization, mobility frictions - generated by idiosyncratic tastes and local ties - dominate trade frictions - generated by trade costs and non-tradable Services - as a source of measurement error in the Rosen-Roback framework. This non-classical measurement error leads to a downward bias in estimates of the urban quality-of-life premium. Our application to Germany reveals that accounting for spatial frictions results in larger quality-of-life differences, different quality-of-life rankings, and an urban quality-of-life premium that exceeds the urban wage premium." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions (2024)
Zitatform
Ahlfeldt, Gabriel, Fabian Bald, Duncan Roth & Tobias Seidel (2024): Measuring quality of life under spatial frictions. (CEP discussion paper / Centre for Economic Performance 2061), London, 56 S.
Abstract
"Using a quantitative spatial model as a data-generating process, we explore how spatial frictions affect the measurement of quality of life. We find that under a canonical parameterization, mobility frictions - generated by idiosyncratic tastes and local ties - dominate trade frictions - generated by trade costs and non-tradable services - as a source of measurement error in the Rosen-Roback framework. This non-classical measurement error leads to a downward bias in estimates of the urban quality-of-life premium. Our application to Germany reveals that accounting for spatial frictions results in larger quality-of-life differences, different quality-of-life rankings, and an urban quality-of-life premium that exceeds the urban wage premium." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Evening Work and Its Relationship with Couple Time (2024)
Zitatform
Ambiel, Benjamin Samuel, Ingmar Rapp & Jonathan Simon Gruhler (2024): Evening Work and Its Relationship with Couple Time. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 45, H. 3, S. 621-635. DOI:10.1007/s10834-023-09934-8
Abstract
"This article examines the relationship between couple time and nonstandard working time, in particular evening work, using household-based time use data from Germany. We analyzed three measures of couple time: total time couples spend together, engaged leisure time and other couple time. Engaged leisure includes joint leisure activities and a mutual acknowledgement of the partner's presence, while other couple time includes the performance of different activities or joint unpaid work. The results of multiple OLS-regressions on data from 1957 couples across 5871 diary days strongly suggest that evening work reduces not only total couple time but also specifically engaged leisure time. In contrast, other couple time is less affected by time spent in paid evening work. As engaged leisure time is strongly related to relationship stability and satisfaction, it can be assumed that evening work has negative effects on intimate relationships." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Trade Unions and Life Satisfaction in Germany (2024)
Zitatform
Becker, Björn, Laszlo Goerke & Yue Huang (2024): Trade Unions and Life Satisfaction in Germany. In: BJIR, S. 1-16. DOI:10.1111/bjir.12861
Abstract
"The effects of trade union membership on wages and job satisfaction have been studied extensively. Arguably, life satisfaction serves as a more comprehensive measure of the benefits of union membership and warrants closer examination. Using all relevant waves from the German Socio-Economic Panel between 1985 and 2019, we find a negative correlation between trade union membership and life satisfaction in OLS and FE specifications. The association may arise because union members are more concerned about their job and the economic situation and less satisfied with their work. Social capital and wages also perform as channels between membership and life satisfaction. The negative correlation is more pronounced in settings in which trade unions are relatively weak." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Entrepreneurial worries: Self-employment and potential loss of well-being (2024)
Zitatform
Binder, Martin (2024): Entrepreneurial worries: Self-employment and potential loss of well-being. In: Journal of Economic Psychology, Jg. 105. DOI:10.1016/j.joep.2024.102773
Abstract
"The relationship between self-employment and life satisfaction has been shown to be heterogeneous in the literature. This paper analyzes a channel through which lower well-being can come about for the self-employed, namely, their worries about their business (“entrepreneurial worries”). Using a two-way fixed effects estimator on German panel data (1984–2020), I find no overall effect of becoming self-employed on life satisfaction, and heterogeneity analysis shows that only those self-employed individuals who change from unemployment to self-employment report higher life satisfaction. Mediation analysis reveals that worries about one’s financial situation (and, to some extent, job security) mediate the relationship between self-employment and life satisfaction. Life satisfaction decreases as self-employed individuals worry more about their financial situation as a result of becoming self-employed. Only if one does not worry about one’s financial situation at all does self-employment contributepositively to life satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
How perceived well-being determinants differ for immigrants and natives in Italy (2024)
Zitatform
Campolo, Maria Gabriella & Antonino Di Pino Incognito (2024): How perceived well-being determinants differ for immigrants and natives in Italy. In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 58, H. 3, S. 2499-2522. DOI:10.1007/s11135-023-01765-x
Abstract
"Analysts have identified pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors, as well as the role of individual skills, as relevant predictors of perceived well-being of immigrants, but with different and conflicting conclusions. In this study, related to the Italian case, we evaluate the gap in the well-being of immigrants compared to natives in terms of psychological distress and economic conditions. Using the Italian data from the European Survey on Income and Living Conditions, we estimated well-being functions in different domains by assuming that the emotional condition of the subjects influences their perceived well-being in both cognitive and community domains. We found that considering different well-being domains helps to better assess the nature of the gap between immigrants and natives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Lebenslauf, Altersvorsorge und Wohlbefinden: der Einfluss von (Nicht-)Erwerbsbiografien und Rentenanwartschaften auf die Lebenszufriedenheit (2024)
Czaplicki, Christin; Greb, Raphael; Nachtigall, Heike; Heien, Thorsten;Zitatform
Czaplicki, Christin, Raphael Greb, Thorsten Heien & Heike Nachtigall (2024): Lebenslauf, Altersvorsorge und Wohlbefinden: der Einfluss von (Nicht-)Erwerbsbiografien und Rentenanwartschaften auf die Lebenszufriedenheit. In: Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Jg. 79, H. 3, S. 191-219.
Abstract
"Angesichts der großen Bedeutung von Aspekten des subjektiven Wohlbefindens ("subjective well-being") für die Beurteilung des Wohlstands eines Landes und der Lebensqualität seiner Bevölkerung werden der bisher ehr vernachlässigte Einfluss der eigenen Altersvorsorge auf die allgemeine Lebenszufriedenheit sowie die zentrale Rolle von (Nicht-)Erwerbsbiografien in diesem Zusammenhang empirisch untersucht. Auf Basis von Daten der Studie zu "Lebensverläufen und Altersvorsorge" (LeA) zeigt sich, dass Erwerbszeiten und Anwartschaften auf spätere Alterseinkommen tendenziell in einem positiven Zusammenhang und Nichterwerbszeiten in einem negativen Zusammenhang mit der Zufriedenheit stehen. Entsprechende Unterschiede zeigen sich auch für verschiedene Biografietypen. Besonders relevant sind Lebensverläufe und Altersvorsorge für die Zufriedenheit mit dem Einkommen und dem Lebensstandard insgesamt, am wenigsten für die Zufriedenheit mit der Arbeit." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Relative income within the household, gender norms, and well-being (2024)
Zitatform
Gihleb, Rania, Osea Giuntella & Luca Stella (2024): Relative income within the household, gender norms, and well-being. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 19. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0306180
Abstract
"This study examines the effects of relative household income on individual well-being, mental health, and physical health in Germany. Consistent with previous studies, we document a dip in the distribution of households in which the wife out-earns the husband. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show that husbands in couples in which the wife earns just more exhibit lower satisfaction with life, work, and health, and report worse physical health. Women in these couples report lower satisfaction with life and health, and worse mental health. Results on life, work, and health satisfaction among women are more pronounced in West Germany, consistent with previous evidence of gender norm differences between East and West Germany." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does the unemployment rate moderate the well-being disadvantage of the unemployed? Within-region estimates from the European Social Survey (2024)
Zitatform
Hajdu, Gábor & Tamás Hajdu (2024): Does the unemployment rate moderate the well-being disadvantage of the unemployed? Within-region estimates from the European Social Survey. In: Kyklos, Jg. 77, H. 1, S. 40-56. DOI:10.1111/kykl.12357
Abstract
"Using pooled cross-sectional data (eight waves of the European Social Survey), this work analysed how the regional unemployment rate influences the well-being disadvantages of the unemployed. We estimate region fixed effects and slopes models that, unlike the standard region fixed effects approach, provide an unbiased estimate of the cross-level interaction term (between being unemployed and the unemployment rate) in the absence of unobserved time-variant confounders. The results show that the satisfaction disadvantage of the unemployed (relative to the employed) is larger when the regional unemployment rate is higher. Smaller and insignificant differences were found regarding happiness. These results are in line with the argument that worse re-employment perspectives in high-unemployment regions may be particularly harmful to unemployed people. These results do not contradict the claim that, in regions with a weaker social norm to work, unemployed people may be more satisfied. Instead, they suggest that the unemployment rate does not reflect the social norm to work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Multidimensional work-nonwork balance: are balanced employees productive at work and satisfied with life? (2024)
Zitatform
Hildenbrand, Kristin, Pascale Daher, Anna Topakas & Xiaoyu Gan (2024): Multidimensional work-nonwork balance: are balanced employees productive at work and satisfied with life? In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 35, H. 6, S. 1048-1087. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2023.2258335
Abstract
"Given ever increasing work and nonwork demands, achieving work-nonwork (WNW) balance is an important priority for many employees. Scholars have only recently settled on a definition of WNW balance as multidimensional and, as such, our understanding of its antecedents and outcomes is limited. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, we explore how organizations can support employees to achieve WNW balance and whether ‘balanced’ employees are more productive at work and satisfied with life. In detail, we hypothesize that the positive effect of supervisor WNW support (FSS) on employees’ life satisfaction and job performance is mediated by multidimensional WNW balance. We find, across two studies with two waves each, that only the dimension of WNW balance effectiveness and not the dimension of WNW balance satisfaction mediated the relationships between FSS, life satisfaction (Study 1 and 2) and self-rated job performance (Study 1). The relationship between FSS and supervisor-rated job performance (Study 2) was not mediated by either WNW balance dimension. As such, organizations can facilitate WNW balance through FSS, while ‘balanced’ employees seem indeed happier with their life and consider themselves to be better performing at work. We discuss the unexpected finding regarding the superior role of WNW balance effectiveness over WNW balance satisfaction for our outcomes in relation to the conceptualization of WNW balance as multidimensional and delineate important theoretical and practical implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Association Between Age and Subjective Economic Hardship Across the Income Distribution in Europe (2024)
Zitatform
Ilmakunnas, Ilari, Joonas Uotinen & Maria Vaalavuo (2024): Association Between Age and Subjective Economic Hardship Across the Income Distribution in Europe. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 173, H. 2, S. 523-542. DOI:10.1007/s11205-024-03351-6
Abstract
"Previous studies have shown that older people are more satisfied with their finances than younger individuals, even when they have a low income. We examine to what extent this can be observed when studying the risk of subjective economic hardship among the adult population in 28 European countries. Our study describes the association between age and the risk of subjective economic hardship and how the association varies by level of income. Additionally, we examine the role of assets and debt in explaining the association. The data come from the 2020 EU-SILC survey and its ad-hoc module on over-indebtedness, consumption, and wealth. We estimate logistic regression models that control for country-level variation. We show that there is substantial variation across Europe regarding how the likelihood of experiencing subjective economic hardship varies by age. The income position of different age groups explains, to a large extent, the different age patterns for hardship across countries. When controlling for country-level variation and level of income, older people are less likely than younger age groups to experience subjective economic hardship. We find indications that older people have a lower risk of subjective economic hardship especially in the lower bottom of the income distribution. Older people's lower risk seems to be largely explained by their more frequent ability to use savings to maintain their standard of living." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Beyond Income: Exploring the Role of Household Wealth for Subjective Well-Being in Germany (2024)
Zitatform
Jantsch, Antje, Julia Le Blanc & Tobias Schmidt (2024): Beyond Income: Exploring the Role of Household Wealth for Subjective Well-Being in Germany. In: Journal of happiness studies, Jg. 25, H. 7. DOI:10.1007/s10902-024-00811-1
Abstract
"An individual's financial situation positively impacts her subjective well-being (SWB) according to the literature. However, most existing studies focus solely on income, neglecting other aspects of an individual's financial situation such as wealth. In this paper, we empirically examine the relationship between SWB, income, household wealth, and its components. Additionally, we explore the significance of one's wealth relative to others' for SWB. Our contribution expands the limited literature on absolute and relative wealth and SWB by utilizing unique microdata from a German wealth survey, the German Panel on Household Finances (PHF). Our findings indicate that both assets and debts, alongside income, are associated with an individual's SWB. In particular, a similar relative increase in financial assets is associated with a greater increase in SWB than the same percentage increase in real assets, and SWB decreases as the level of unsecured debt increases. Furthermore, individuals tend to experience decreased SWB when comparing themselves to others with more assets or less debt. Interestingly, we observe divergent effects of relative wealth on SWB among younger and older individuals. These results underscore the significance of considering wealth, in addition to income, when analyzing determinants of SWB." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Evaluating Economic Success: Happiness, Health, and Basic Human Needs (2024)
Joffe, Michael;Zitatform
Joffe, Michael (2024): Evaluating Economic Success. Happiness, Health, and Basic Human Needs. (Wellbeing in Politics and Policy), Cham: Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, XV, 116 S. DOI:10.1007/978-3-031-57671-3
Abstract
"“Economics aims to be the study of making people's lives better, but the focus has for too long been too narrow. This book makes a compelling case for measures of economic progress that go beyond GDP growth to put human wellbeing firmly in the spotlight, setting out a new system for assessing success.” -- Dame Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge, UK “Michael Joffe's book complements the growing criticisms to GDP as the sole (or main) metric to measure economic success with new outcome indicators that measure attainment of human needs and well-being. From this point of view, it is not only a step forward in the direction of overcoming the old and counterproductive economic metrics, but it puts forward a practical, actionable approach to measuring economic “growth” in a completely different way. I hope this book will have the reception it deserves, as a clear theoretical essay and a source of concrete and novel metrics for economics based on human needs”. -- Paolo Vineis, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK This open access book argues that a new policy approach is required in order to tackle the numerous problems the world is currently facing. The priority should be on achieving better outcomes for people, especially those facing deprivation or precariousness, by meeting their basic needs. In order to achieve this, the book develops a monitoring system that can act as an objective, an incentive, and a criterion of success for policy makers at all levels of government and in civil society, as well as providing information to guide specific actions. In doing so, the book aims to promote good health and positive social functioning by providing a new approach to help assess how well basic human needs are being met. This involves monitoring the outcomes of the economy that ought to satisfy these needs. It will appeal to all those interested in public policy, official statistics and monitoring, public health and wellbeing, as well as practitioners. Michael Joffe is affiliated with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, UK. He writes on topics in economics. ." (Provided by publisher)
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Literaturhinweis
Fairness, expectations and life satisfaction: evidence from Europe (2024)
Zitatform
Nicolitsas, Daphne (2024): Fairness, expectations and life satisfaction: evidence from Europe. In: Empirica, Jg. 51, H. 2, S. 313-349. DOI:10.1007/s10663-023-09602-y
Abstract
"This study aims to investigate whether individual beliefs about the fairness of society can account for differences in life satisfaction. Fairness here encompasses both procedural and distributive justice. The paper uses fifth-round individual-level data from the European Social Survey (ESS). The round in question contains information that can be used as a proxy for procedural justice, in the form of individual assessment of how the courts operate in their country. It also contains variables that will serve as a proxy for distributive justice. To that end we use survey information on individual assessment of whether pay is appropriate as well as a variable measuring the gap between received and expected pay. The latter is constructed using pay information and individuals’ personal demographic and productive features, as well as information on the characteristics of their workplace. The hypothesis that life satisfaction is impacted by perceived unfairness cannot be rejected. Furthermore, we find that dissatisfaction with pay increases when individuals have a negative view of procedural justice." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
“I'm Not Worthless, I Do Help Society”: Exploring the Lived Experience of Community Placement in Activation Schemes (2024)
Zitatform
Petautschnig, Carla & Virpi Timonen (2024): “I'm Not Worthless, I Do Help Society”: Exploring the Lived Experience of Community Placement in Activation Schemes. In: Social Policy and Society, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1017/S1474746423000490
Abstract
"Activation schemes are widely criticised, with the negative experiences of ‘the activated’ featuring prominently in the literature. This article presents the findings of a constructivist grounded theory study concerning the lived experience of long-term unemployment, welfare recipiency and community placement in activation schemes in Ireland, with a focus on the positive effects that participating in such schemes had on participants’ subjective well-being. For the participants in this research, community placement signified change, respite, and recovery that improved their subjective well-being by creating an experience that counteracted the draining experience of long-term unemployment and welfare recipiency. This study brings new elements to the discussion on the role of activation in promoting/diminishing the subjective well-being of the long-term unemployed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Wer im Alter arbeitet, ist zufriedener (2024)
Potthoff, Jennifer; Schüler, Ruth Maria;Zitatform
Potthoff, Jennifer & Ruth Maria Schüler (2024): Wer im Alter arbeitet, ist zufriedener. (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln), Köln, 3 S.
Abstract
"Trotz Krisen ist die Lebenszufriedenheit der deutschen Wohnbevölkerung in den letzten Jahren gestiegen. Dabei äußern ältere Menschen, die einer Erwerbstätigkeit nachgehen, im Durchschnitt eine höhere Lebenszufriedenheit als ältere Menschen, die dies nicht tun. Innerhalb der älteren Generation sind die 66- bis 70-Jährigen, die über die Regelaltersgrenze hinaus als „Silver Worker“ weiterarbeiten, besonders zufrieden mit ihrem Leben." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Experienced versus decision utility: large-scale comparison for income–leisure preferences (2023)
Zitatform
Akay, Alpaslan, Olivier B. Bargain & H. Xavier Jara (2023): Experienced versus decision utility: large-scale comparison for income–leisure preferences. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 125, H. 4, S. 823-859. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12538
Abstract
"Subjective well‐being (SWB) data are increasingly used to perform welfare analysis. Interpreted as “experienced utility”, it has recently been compared to “decision utility” using small‐scale experiments most often based on stated preferences. We transpose this comparison to the framework of non‐experimental and large‐scale data commonly used for policy analysis, focusing on the income–leisure domain where redistributive policies operate. Using the British Household Panel Survey, we suggest a “deviation” measure, which is simply the difference between actual working hours and SWB‐maximizing hours. We show that about three‐quarters of individuals make decisions that are not inconsistent with maximizing their SWB. We discuss the potential channels that explain the lack of optimization when deviations are significantly large. We find proxies for a number of individual and external constraints, and show that constraints alone can explain more than half of the deviations. In our context, deviations partly reflect the inability of the revealed preference approach to account for labor market rigidities, so the actual and SWB‐maximizing hours should be used in a complementary manner. The suggested approach based on our deviation metric could help identify labor market frictions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What do Happiness Data Mean? Theory and Survey Evidence (2023)
Zitatform
Benjamin, Daniel J., Jakina Debnam Guzman, Marc Fleurbaey, Ori Heffetz & Miles Kimball (2023): What do Happiness Data Mean? Theory and Survey Evidence. In: Journal of the European Economic Association, Jg. 21, H. 6, S. 2377-2412. DOI:10.1093/jeea/jvad026
Abstract
"What utility notion—e.g. flow/lifetime, self/family-centered—do self-reported well-being (SWB) questions measure? Existing applications make different assumptions regarding the (i) life domains, (ii) time horizons, and (iii) other-regarding preferences captured by SWB data. To obtain relevant evidence, we ask survey respondents what they had in mind regarding (i)–(iii) when answering commonly used—life satisfaction, happiness, ladder—and new SWB questions. We find that respondents’ self-reports differ from researchers’ assumptions and differ across SWB questions and sociodemographic groups. At the same time, simple SWB-question wording tweaks are effective in moving self-reports toward desired interpretations. We outline actionable suggestions for SWB researchers. (JEL: D69, D90, I31)" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
More Education Does Make You Happier – Unless You Are Unemployed (2023)
Zitatform
Bertermann, Alexander, Daniel A. Kamhöfer & Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch (2023): More Education Does Make You Happier – Unless You Are Unemployed. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16454), Bonn, 40 S.
Abstract
"This paper investigates the causal effect of education on life satisfaction, exploring effect heterogeneity along employment status. We use exogenous variation in compulsory schooling requirements and the build-up of new, academically more demanding schools, shifting educational attainment along the entire distribution of schooling. Leveraging plant closures and longitudinal information, we also address the endogeneity of employment status. We find a positive effect of education on life satisfaction for employed individuals, but a negative one for those without a job. We propose an aspiration-augmented utility function as a unifying explanation for the asymmetric effect of education on life satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
More education does make you happier — unless you are unemployed (2023)
Zitatform
Bertermann, Alexander, Daniel A. Kamhöfer & Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch (2023): More education does make you happier — unless you are unemployed. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 1192), Berlin, 40 S.
Abstract
"This paper investigates the causal effect of education on life satisfaction, exploring effect heterogeneity along employment status. We use exogenous variation in compulsory schooling requirements and the build-up of new, academically more demanding schools, shifting educational attainment along the entire distribution of schooling. Leveraging plant closures and longitudinal information, we also address the endogeneity of employment status. We find a positive effect of education on life satisfaction for employed individuals, but a negative one for those without a job. We propose an aspiration-augmented utility function as a unifying explanation for the asymmetric effect of education on life satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Impact of income and unemployment on happiness: panel data evidence for European countries (2023)
Cimpoeru, Smaranda;Zitatform
Cimpoeru, Smaranda (2023): Impact of income and unemployment on happiness: panel data evidence for European countries. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 30, H. 8, S. 1047-1051. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2022.2035666
Abstract
"This study examines the short-run and long-run relationships between happiness and two economic variables, namely income and unemployment. Drawing from a sample of eleven European countries over a time period of 36 years spanning 1985–2020, we find that both income and unemployment have a significant impact on happiness levels. In particular, the results show that higher income leads to higher happiness in the long-run, but the short-run impact is rather weak. Moreover, unemployment decreases people’s happiness levels both in the short and in the long-run, emphasizing the need for European policies directed to job creation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Time Use and Life Satisfaction within Couples: A Gender Analysis for Belgium (2023)
Zitatform
De Rock, Bram & Guillaume Périlleux (2023): Time Use and Life Satisfaction within Couples: A Gender Analysis for Belgium. In: Feminist economics, Jg. 29, H. 4, S. 1-35. DOI:10.1080/13545701.2023.2251505
Abstract
"This article looks at the time allocation of individuals with a focus on paid and unpaid work, its division within households, and its link with life satisfaction. The study uses the cross-sectional MEqIN database for Belgium in 2016 and corrects for heterogeneity by using measures of the personality traits. The division of time appears to be quite gendered. Women are found to be more satisfied when working part time. This could be because a majority of working women still undertake most of the unpaid work so that they end up operating a double shift. Looking at the link of time allocation of both partners on the individuals' life satisfaction, men's behavior appears to be in accordance with a conservative gender attitude, and even a breadwinner version, while women's behavior is closer to an egalitarian gender attitude. The study further observes that those behaviors are softened by the presence of children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Why does happiness respond differently to an increase vs. decrease in income? (2023)
Zitatform
Easterlin, Richard A. (2023): Why does happiness respond differently to an increase vs. decrease in income? In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 209, S. 200-204. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2023.02.005
Abstract
"The answer is that people's evaluations of their income situation are based on different considerations when the economy is expanding and when it is contracting. When, in the course of economic growth, incomes generally are rising, evaluations of one's own income—whether it is satisfactory –tend to be dominated by comparisons with the incomes of others—by “social comparison”. If one's income is just “keeping up with the Joneses”, happiness is unchanged. But in a recession, as incomes decline and people increasingly have difficulty satisfying consumption habits and fixed financial obligations acquired when incomes were higher, the benchmark for income evaluations shifts to comparisons with one's past experience– how current income compares with one's previous peak income. The greater the shortfall, the less one's happiness. The shift when income declines, from comparison with others to comparison with one's past experience, is typically forced on individuals by the growing pressure of meeting fixed financial obligations. There is thus an asymmetry in the psychological roots of income evaluations when income is rising vs. falling, and this causes a corresponding asymmetry in the response of happiness to income change. When income is rising and social comparison is the basis for evaluating one's income situation, changes in income have, on average, a nil effect on happiness. When income falls below its previous peak and past personal experience is the basis for evaluating one's income situation, happiness goes down and up with income." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Are Senior Entrepreneurs Happier than Who? The Role of Income and Health (2023)
Zitatform
Fritsch, Michael, Alina Sorgner & Michael Wyrwich (2023): Are Senior Entrepreneurs Happier than Who? The Role of Income and Health. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16534), Bonn, 46 S.
Abstract
"We propose an extension of the standard occupational choice model to analyze the life satisfaction of senior entrepreneurs as compared to paid employees and particularly retirees in Germany. The analysis identifies income and health status as main factors that shape the relationship between occupational status and life satisfaction. Senior entrepreneurs enjoy higher levels of life satisfaction than retirees and senior paid employees. This higher life satisfaction is mainly due to their higher income. Physical and mental health play a crucial role in determining both an individual's occupational status and their overall life satisfaction. We find that senior self-employed report to be healthier compared to other groups of elderly individuals. However, when controlling for health, retirees exhibit an even higher level of life satisfaction compared to their self-employed counterparts. Heterogeneity analysis of various types of senior entrepreneurs and senior paid employees confirms this general pattern. In addition, we find some evidence indicating that senior entrepreneurs may compromise their leisure time, a main asset of retired individuals. Implications for research, policy, and practitioners are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The Impact of Unemployment on Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Well-Being Facets: Investigating Immediate Effects and Short-Term Adaptation (2023)
Zitatform
Lawes, Mario, Clemens Hetschko, Ronnie Schöb, Gesine Stephan & Michael Eid (2023): The Impact of Unemployment on Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Well-Being Facets: Investigating Immediate Effects and Short-Term Adaptation. In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Jg. 124, H. 3, S. 659-681., 2022-02-10. DOI:10.1037/pspp0000417
Abstract
"While long-lasting declines in life satisfaction following unemployment have been well documented, evidence on the impact of unemployment on affective and eudaimonic well-being is scarce. Moreover, most existing studies relied on yearly panel data and were unable to separate the immediate effects of entering unemployment from prospective effects occurring before individuals become unemployed. The present study identified the immediate effects of entering unemployment on cognitive, affective and eudaimonic well-being facets using a control-group design based on monthly panel data of initially employed German jobseekers who were at high risk of losing their job. In order to investigate patterns of short-term adaptation, the study further examined whether average well-being levels change within the first months of unemployment using a mixed-effects trait-state-occasion model. All effects were separately computed for jobseekers affected by mass-layoffs or plant closures and individuals who registered as jobseekers due to other reasons. Multi-item instruments and experience sampling were used to validly measure the various well-being facets. The results indicate that life satisfaction and income satisfaction significantly decreased for individuals affected by mass-layoffs or plant closures from the last month in employment to the first month in unemployment. For individuals who registered as jobseekers due to other reasons, these effects were smaller and not significant in the case of life satisfaction. Crucially, there were no immediate effects of entering unemployment on the examined affective and eudaimonic well-being facets. Moreover, well-being levels were generally stable within the first months of unemployment indicating a general absence of short-term adaptation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) ((en))
Weiterführende Informationen
Supplemental materials -
Literaturhinweis
The relationship between perceived economic standing and happiness (2023)
Zitatform
Svavarsdottir, Gudrun & Tinna Laufey Asgeirsdottir (2023): The relationship between perceived economic standing and happiness. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 30, H. 17, S. 2413-2419. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2022.2097626
Abstract
"We examine the importance of perception in the relationship between income and happiness. Using Icelandic data, we show that people's perception of their economic standing is more telling of their happiness than their actual income. We find a stronger association between happiness and a negative perception of one's economic standing than happiness and a positive perception." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Exploring the relationship between working history, retirement transition and women's life satisfaction (2023)
Zitatform
Tambellini, Elisa (2023): Exploring the relationship between working history, retirement transition and women's life satisfaction. In: Ageing & Society, Jg. 43, S. 1754-1783. DOI:10.1017/S0144686X2100132X
Abstract
"How does the transition to retirement affect female subjective wellbeing? The major theoretical perspectives that have been applied as frameworks to study the heterogeneous adjustment to retirement include role theory and continuity theory. They have often been integrated with a lifecourse approach, which allows us to study retirement as a transition set inside a lifelong process. In this paper, I assess how working life courses are related to changes in subjective wellbeing before and after retirement, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and concentrating on women. Firstly, I conduct sequence analysis and cluster analysis to identify groups of typical working lifecourses from ages 20 to 50. Secondly, regression models estimate how retirement transition is associated with changes in life satisfaction, according to the different working trajectories. The results show that some of the trajectories, constituted of discontinuity or part-time periods, exhibit a continuous increase in life satisfaction, passing from employment (or unemployment) to retirement. For other trajectories, such as the full-time one, retirement seems not to have implications for subjective wellbeing." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Assessment of goodness of fit of income distribution in France and Germany based on the Zenga distribution (2023)
Zitatform
Ćwiek, Małgorzata & Kamila Trzcińska (2023): Assessment of goodness of fit of income distribution in France and Germany based on the Zenga distribution. In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 57, H. 5, S. 4013-4027. DOI:10.1007/s11135-022-01556-w
Abstract
"The aim of this paper is to apply the Zenga distribution for equivalent disposable income from the last two waves of European Quality of Life Surveys for Germany and France (both for total society and selected socio-economic groups) and to assess the goodness of fit to empirical data. The Zenga distribution has not been used to describe the income distribution in these countries yet. The obtained parameters were assessed for fitting to empirical data using two measures—the Wasserstein-Kantorovich and the Wasserstein-Kantorovich standardized measure. The analysis of the results received allows for the conclusion that the Zenga distribution can fit the income distributions both for small as well as large values. It was also shown that the Zenga distribution fits the data well even with small and very small samples. The article uses a new measure to assess the fit of the distribution to empirical data, based on the Wasserstein-Kantorovich measure assessing the distance between the empirical and theoretical cumulative distribution function. The modification consisted in standardizing the Wasserstein-Kantorovich measure by dividing the field between distributors by the rectangle area, where length is maximum income and width is maximum value of the cumulative distribution function. The proposed measure is not sensitive to extreme values, often found in the analysis of income distribution, and can be applied even in very small samples." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Employment Status and Well-Being Among Young Individuals. Why Do We Observe Cross-Country Differences? (2022)
Zitatform
Buttler, Dominik (2022): Employment Status and Well-Being Among Young Individuals. Why Do We Observe Cross-Country Differences? In: Social indicators research, Jg. 164, H. 1, S. 409-437. DOI:10.1007/s11205-022-02953-2
Abstract
"In this paper we analyse why in some countries the difference in subjective well-being between employed and unemployed young individuals is substantial, whereas in others it remains small. The strength of this relationship has important consequences, hence it affects the intensity of the job search by the unemployed as well as the retention and productivity of employees. In the analysis we are focused on youth and young adults who constitute a group particularly exposed to the risks of joblessness, precarious or insecure employment. We expect that in economies where young people are able to find jobs of good quality, the employment–well-being relationship tends to be stronger. However, this relationship also depends on the relative well-being of the young unemployed. Based on the literature on school-to-work transition we have identified macro-level factors shaping the conditions of labour market entry of young people (aged 15–35), which consequently affect their well-being. The estimation of multilevel regression models with the use of the combined dataset from the European Social Survey and macro-level databases has indicated that these are mainly education system characteristics (in particular vocational orientation and autonomy of schools) and labour market policy spending that moderate the employment–well-being relationship of young individuals." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Eine Analyse der Lebenszufriedenheit bei der Geburtenjahrgänge 1957-1976 in Deutschland entlang des Erwerbsstatus, Erwerbsminderungsstatus und Erwerbsminderungsrentenbezugs (2022)
Champion, Steven Mark;Zitatform
Champion, Steven Mark (2022): Eine Analyse der Lebenszufriedenheit bei der Geburtenjahrgänge 1957-1976 in Deutschland entlang des Erwerbsstatus, Erwerbsminderungsstatus und Erwerbsminderungsrentenbezugs. In: Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Jg. 77, H. 4, S. 340-356.
Abstract
"Der Beitrag geht der Forschungsfrage nach, ob sich ein negativer oder positiver Zusammenhang zwischen Erwerbszuständen und Lebenszufriedenheitswerten feststellen lässt. Nach Ausdifferenzierung verschiedener Erwerbszustände über Erwerbsstatus, Erwerbsminderungsstatus, Erwerbsminderungsart und Erwerbsminderungsrentenbezug erfolgt die Synthese eine Zufriedenheitsindexes als Vergleichsmaß. Die Analysen zeigen eine positive Wirkung von Erwerbstätigkeit auf die Lebenszufriedenheit über alle Analysegruppen hinweg. Außerdem zeigt sich, dass eine Erwerbsminderung einen negativen Einfluss auf die Zufriedenheit hat. Eine Erwerbsminderungsrente kann diesen Effekt nicht nachhaltig ausgleichen, sie kann aber insbesondere bei Erwerbslosen dazu beitragen, die Zufriedenheitswerte zu stabilisieren." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Occupational Status and Life Satisfaction in the UK: The Miserable Middle? (2022)
Zitatform
Georgellis, Yannis, Andrew E. Clark, Emmanuel Apergis & Catherine Robinson (2022): Occupational Status and Life Satisfaction in the UK: The Miserable Middle? (IZA discussion paper 15360), Bonn, 68 S.
Abstract
"We use British panel data to explore the link between occupational status and life satisfaction. We find puzzling evidence, for men, of a U-shaped relationship in cross-section data: employees in medium-status occupations report lower life satisfaction scores than that of employees in either low- or high-status occupations. This puzzle disappears in panel data: the satisfaction of any man rises as he moves up the status ladder. The culprit seems to be immobility: the miserable middle is caused by men who (in our data) have always been in medium-status occupations. There is overall little evidence of a link between occupational status and life satisfaction for women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Retirement Adjustment in Germany From 1996 to 2014 (2022)
Zitatform
Henning, Georg, Boo Johansson, Magnus Lindwall & Oliver Huxhold (2022): Retirement Adjustment in Germany From 1996 to 2014. In: Work, Aging and Retirement, Jg. 8, H. 3, S. 304-321. DOI:10.1093/workar/waab027
Abstract
"The context of retirement has changed over the last decades, but there is little knowledge on whether the quality of retirement adjustment has changed as well. Changes in retirement regulations and historical differences in resources may affect the quality of adjustment and increase inequalities between different socioeconomic groups. In the present study, we investigated historical differences in retirement adjustment by comparing cross-sectional samples of retirees from 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014, based on the population-based German Ageing Survey. Adjustment was measured with three different indicators (perceived change in life after retirement, retirement satisfaction, adjustment difficulties). Retirement satisfaction was higher in later samples, but for the other two outcomes, there was no evidence for systematic increases or decreases in levels of retirement adjustment with historical time over the studied period. White-collar workers reported better adjustment than blue-collar workers did, and for two of three outcomes, this effect was stable over time. The white-collar workers’ advantage concerning retirement satisfaction, however, increased. We conclude that in Germany, at least for those who retire within the usual time window, adjustment quality has not changed systematically over the examined 18-year period. We only found mixed evidence for a growing social inequality in the retirement adjustment. However, as individual agency in choosing one’s retirement timing and pathway is increasingly restricted, social inequalities in well-being before retirement may increase." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Earmarked Paternity Leave and Well-Being (2022)
Zitatform
Korsgren, Pontus & Max van Lent (2022): Earmarked Paternity Leave and Well-Being. (IZA discussion paper 15022), Bonn, 24 S.
Abstract
"Earmarked paternity leave has been introduced in an attempt to increase fathers' involvement in child rearing and to achieve gender equality in the labor market and at home. So far well-being effects of such policies are unexplored. This paper takes a first step in that direction by studying the impact of earmarked paternity leave quota on life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and work-life balance using several policy changes in Europe over the period 1993-2007. We find that earmarked paternity leave increases life satisfaction by 0.18 on a 10 point scale which is equivalent to a 10.8 percentage point increase even decades later. Both fathers and mothers benefit, though the increase in life satisfaction for mothers is nearly 30% higher than that of fathers. Perhaps surprisingly, the impact on job satisfaction and work-life balance is close to zero. Hence even when the impact of paternity leave quota on the labor market are small, the increases in life satisfaction may still justify the existence of such policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Unemployment and Well-Being of Europeans Across the Life Cycle: The Role of Countries' Macroeconomic Situation (2022)
Zitatform
Malisauskaite, Gintare, Olena Nizalova & Despoina Xanthopoulou (2022): Unemployment and Well-Being of Europeans Across the Life Cycle: The Role of Countries' Macroeconomic Situation. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 162, H. 3, S. 1387-1412. DOI:10.1007/s11205-022-02892-y
Abstract
"Unemployment impairs individuals' well-being and health and there is some empirical evidence showing that macroeconomic conditions can moderate these effects. This paper goes a step further and investigates differences in how macroeconomic indicators of European countries' economic situation relate to individual subjective health and well-being, and also moderate the relationship between individual labour market exclusion and these outcomes across age groups: young individuals (aged 15–29), prime working age adults (aged 30–49, base category) and pre-retirement age adults (aged 50–64). We used two different macroeconomic indicators to define macroeconomic situation: country-level unemployment rate and gross domestic product (GDP). Both indicators were disaggregated into long-term economic trend and business cycle shocks using Hodrick–Prescott filtering to allow distinguishing between expected and unexpected change in macroeconomic circumstances. We used the European Social Survey individual-level data from 35 European countries for 2002–2014. Multi-level analysis with three levels were run for men and women separately. Results revealed differences in how individual-level unemployment related to well-being depending on the age group, with pre-retirement age group adults' health and well-being suffering the most. Also, macroeconomic indicators were found to moderate the relationship between individual-level unemployment and subjective health and well-being with some noticeable differences between age groups, and with GDP trend having the most sizeable influence." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))