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
The Wider Well-Being Consequences of Own and Others' Unemployment (2026)
Zitatform
Clark, Andrew E. & Anthony Lepinteur (2026): The Wider Well-Being Consequences of Own and Others' Unemployment. In: Applied Research in Quality of Life, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1007/s11482-026-10573-y
Abstract
"This paper reviews some of the extensive literature on the relationship between unemployment and subjective well-being. The lower life satisfaction of the unemployed is one of the most robust findings in quality-of-life analysis. However, the focus on the contemporaneous effect of own unemployment likely does not reflect the full societal well-being cost of job loss. For the individual, well-being losses continue for many years after their unemployment spell has ended. In addition, one person’s unemployment spills over to the well-being of others. We in particular discuss how both of these spillovers – within individuals and between individuals may transit via the fear of future job loss – job insecurity. Taken together, these findings suggest that the full societal burden of unemployment is broader, deeper, and more enduring than suggested by simple contemporaneous estimates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gender Differences in Parents’ Well-Being Reverse During Unemployment (2026)
Zitatform
Hendrick, Sara, Melissa J. Williams & Emily C. Bianchi (2026): Gender Differences in Parents’ Well-Being Reverse During Unemployment. In: Personality and social psychology bulletin, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1177/01461672261439419
Abstract
"Past research suggests that parenthood tends to predict well-being for men more than women. We propose that during involuntary unemployment, this pattern will reverse, such that parenthood will predict well-being for women more than men. Because breadwinning remains central to societal expectations of fatherhood, employment allows fathers to simultaneously fulfill parental and professional obligations. Typically, this reduces fathers’ role strain. However, we argue that unemployment may threaten both work and parent identities for fathers and therefore undermine well-being for fathers more than mothers. We find support for this hypothesis using a large, longitudinal study of unemployed individuals (Study 1) and a nationally representative sample (Study 2). Finally, a follow-up experiment (Study 3) supports our prediction that fathers are more likely than mothers to view paid employment as necessary for good parenting, which predicts their lower well-being during unemployment. This work contributes to research on parenthood, gender roles, and unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
CEO-to-employee pay ratios, societal-level income inequality, and citizens’ subjective well-being (2026)
Jiang, Kaifeng; Jia, Yingya; Yu, Jia; Tsui, Anne S.;Zitatform
Jiang, Kaifeng, Yingya Jia, Anne S. Tsui & Jia Yu (2026): CEO-to-employee pay ratios, societal-level income inequality, and citizens’ subjective well-being. In: Journal of International Business Studies, Jg. 57, H. 3, S. 398-411. DOI:10.1057/s41267-026-00841-2
Abstract
"Income inequality is a worldwide phenomenon that increasingly concerns scholars, policy-makers, business leaders, and ordinary citizens. Building on research emphasizing the role of firms in shaping societal outcomes, this study investigates how organizational pay structures—specifically the chief executive officer (CEO)-to-employee pay ratios—relate to societal-level income inequality and citizens’ subjective well-being. Using a15-year panel dataset of 53 countries, we find that higher CEO-to-employee pay ratios are significantly associated with next-year increases in societal-level income inequality. Drawing on social justice theory, we also show that CEO-to-employee pay ratios are negatively related to citizens’ subjective well-being one year later, above and beyond the effects of societal-level income inequality and other national conditions. We further found that this negative association is more pronounced in countries with a stronger welfare state. Together, these findings advance research on inequality, well-being, and international business by showing how firm-level compensation structures shape broader societal outcomes. These findings also offer actionable implications for corporate leaders and policy-makers seeking to understand how corporate pay structure extends beyond organizations to affect societal economic inequality and citizens’ well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Income–Well‐Being Gradient in Sickness and Health (2026)
Zitatform
Kanninen, Ohto, Petri Böckerman & Ilpo Suoniemi (2026): Income–Well‐Being Gradient in Sickness and Health. In: Health Economics, Jg. 35, H. 3, S. 409-422. DOI:10.1002/hec.70063
Abstract
"We propose a method for studying the value of insurance. For this purpose, we analyze the well-being of the same individuals, comparing sick and healthy years, using German panel survey data on life satisfaction. We impose structure on the income–well-being gradient by fitting a flexible utility function to the data, focusing on the differences in marginal utility in the sick and the healthy states. Notably, our empirical specification allows for a “fixed cost of sickness.” We find a higher marginal utility of income in the sick state. We use our estimates to gauge the value of sickness insurance for Baily-Chetty–type optimal policy calculations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Breaking News: How Media Discourse Moderates the Psychological Costs of Unemployment: Version 1 (2026)
Zitatform
Prechsl, Sebastian & Christoph Müller (2026): Breaking News: How Media Discourse Moderates the Psychological Costs of Unemployment. Version 1. (SocArXiv papers), 69 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/x2bnw_v1
Abstract
"This study explores how the media discourse on unemployment influences the subjective well-being (SWB) costs of unemployment, pursuing two key research objectives. First, we investigate how various topics on unemployment depicted by the media amplify the negative impact of unemployment on SWB. Second, contesting the hypothesis of contextual habituation, we examine whether these media influences vary by the extent of regional unemployment. Using 22 waves (1999–2020) of rich German panel data and a full newspaper archive to assess salience of unemployment-related topics, we apply Latent Dirichlet Allocation and time-distributed fixed-effects models. Our findings reveal that salience of personal stories of unemployed individuals and poor labor market conditions in the media intensify the SWB decline among the unemployed. Contrary to the contextual habituation hypothesis, these negative conditional effects on SWB persist regardless of the extent of regional unemployment. Taken together, the findings emphasize that media discourse can reinforce unemployment’s psychological costs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Mehrheit sieht würdevolles Leben erst oberhalb von 2000 Euro netto – und damit klar über dem staatlichen Existenzminimum (2026)
Zitatform
Schupp, Jürgen & Sabine Zinn (2026): Mehrheit sieht würdevolles Leben erst oberhalb von 2000 Euro netto – und damit klar über dem staatlichen Existenzminimum. (DIW aktuell 118), Berlin, 6 S.
Abstract
"Die Bundesregierung hat im Dezember 2025 einen Gesetzentwurf zur Reform des Bürgergelds verabschiedet, der eine Umgestaltung hin zu einer neuen Grundsicherung vorsieht. Der Entwurf befindet sich seitdem im parlamentarischen Verfahren und wird im Bundestag beraten. Damit rückt erneut die Frage in den Fokus, welches Einkommen in Deutschland als ausreichend gilt, um ein würdevolles Leben zu ermöglichen. Eine aktuelle Kurzbefragung des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) zeigt: Zwar bewertet die Mehrheit der Befragten ihr Haushaltsnettoeinkommen als ausreichend, doch empfinden es Menschen mit weniger als 2 000 Euro monatlich als unzureichend, um ein würdevolles Leben zu führen." (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 (2026)
Zitatform
Tobias, Justin L. & Timothy N. Bond (2026): Semiparametric Bayesian estimation in an ordinal probit model with application to life satisfaction across countries, age and gender. In: Journal of econometrics, Jg. 256. 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
Bureaucracy, happiness, and satisfaction at work (2026)
Zitatform
Tu, Jeffrey & Seth J. Hill (2026): Bureaucracy, happiness, and satisfaction at work. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 21, H. 1. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0338838
Abstract
"Despite increasing material prosperity, industrialized nations face declining self-reported happiness and increasing workplace dissatisfaction. This study investigates bureaucratic burden as a driver of diminishing job satisfaction, analyzing 7.9 million Glassdoor reviews of more than 8,000 companies from 2008-2023 using natural language processing and instrumental variables methods. We identify reviews mentioning bureaucracy and quantify their association with 1-5 star employer ratings. Mentioning bureaucracy corresponds to around 0.7-point lower ratings (a 22% decline from the mean), comparable to the impacts of mentioning low pay (–0.8) or workplace conflict (–0.9). Two-stage least squares analysis, instrumenting with future bureaucratic mentions at the same company, implies a causal relationship. These findings support theories about the harm of “illegitimate tasks” at work and suggest revisiting conventional efficiency rationales for workplace bureaucratization. Organizational practices emphasizing employee autonomy and meaningful tasks could partly mitigate declines in satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The impact of educational and work trajectories on wellbeing in midlife: A comparison of Canada and Germany (2026)
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Turgetto, Johanna, Janine Jongbloed, Wolfgang Lauterbach & Lesley Andres (2026): The impact of educational and work trajectories on wellbeing in midlife: A comparison of Canada and Germany. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 67. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2025.100712
Abstract
"This study employs longitudinal data from Germany and Canada to investigate how patterns of education, employment and care work influence wellbeing in midlife and how these patterns differ by gender and national context. Although previous research has addressed wellbeing at different life stages, it has rarely examined long-term effects across gendered life trajectories within contrasting welfare state contexts. We conduct separate analyses for men and women using partial proportional odds models (PPO) to estimate wellbeing levels. The models include clusters of educational and employment trajectories, along with socio-demographic variables that capture individual and family contexts known to affect wellbeing. Our results extend prior research demonstrating that education and employment trajectories shape midlife wellbeing, with associations varying by gender and country. Our analyses illustrate that Canadian women are able to draw benefits from part-time work, whereas for German women no consistent associations emerge once family-centred factors are considered. Among German men, wellbeing seems to be shaped primarily by household income, while for Canadian men good health is significantly associated with wellbeing. Our study underscores how gendered life course patterns continue to influence wellbeing and how welfare state regularities reinforce these inequalities. We conclude with a critical reflection on the compatibility of work and family life and its implications for wellbeing among women and men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))
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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
Performance Pay and Happiness: Work vs. Home? (2025)
Zitatform
Baktash, Mehrzad B., John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn (2025): Performance Pay and Happiness: Work vs. Home? (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18181), Bonn, 42 S.
Abstract
"Using German survey data, we show conflicting influences of performance pay on overall life satisfaction. The overall influence reflects a strong positive influence through domains of life satisfaction associated with the job (job satisfaction, individual earnings satisfaction and household earning satisfaction) and a strong negative influence through domains away from the job (health satisfaction, sleep satisfaction and family life satisfaction). This trade-off between work and home generalizes and helps explain many previous studies examining much more specific consequences of performance pay. Finally, controlling for the mediating role of the domains, the direct influence on life satisfaction is positive for women and insignificantly different from zero for men." (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
Testing the Psychological Costs of Intergenerational Social Mobility: Evidence from a German Panel Study (2025)
Zitatform
Becker, Michael, Lilly-Marlen Bihler, Martin Neugebauer & Jenny Wagner (2025): Testing the Psychological Costs of Intergenerational Social Mobility: Evidence from a German Panel Study. In: Social Science & Medicine, Jg. 384. DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118522
Abstract
"This study investigates the psychological costs of intergenerational social mobility, focusing on both upward and downward mobility. While prior research has often overlooked the role of selection effects, we explicitly disentangle whether disparities in mental health and well-being are attributable to the experience of social mobility itself or to pre-existing individual differences. Using data from a German panel study that follows individuals from late adolescence (age 18) into work-life (age 30), we assess psychological adjustment for different forms of social mobility based on individuals’ own educational attainment relative to theirparents’. We apply entropy balancing to compare models with and without adjustment for selection effects. Initial results, unadjusted for selection, show that downward mobility is linked to poorer mental health and well-being, supporting the “falling-from-grace” hypothesis. In contrast, upward mobility shows no significant association with mental health outcomes, aligning with the “acculturation” hypothesis. Crucially, when accounting for selection, the apparent disadvantages of downward mobility disappear. Our findings suggest that psychological costs attributed to social mobility are primarily the result of pre-existing vulnerabilities rather than mobility itself, emphasizing the importance of considering selection processes in research on social mobility and health." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Trade Unions and Life Satisfaction in Germany (2025)
Zitatform
Becker, Björn, Laszlo Goerke & Yue Huang (2025): Trade Unions and Life Satisfaction in Germany. In: BJIR, Jg. 63, H. 3, S. 462-477. 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
Gute Arbeit in Berlin: Ergebnisse einer Beschäftigtenbefragung im Rahmen des ‚DGB-Index Gute Arbeit‘ (2025)
Brunsen, Hendrik; Busse, Britta; Wolnik, Kevin; Wenzel, Lisbeth;Zitatform
Brunsen, Hendrik, Britta Busse, Kevin Wolnik & Lisbeth Wenzel (2025): Gute Arbeit in Berlin. Ergebnisse einer Beschäftigtenbefragung im Rahmen des ‚DGB-Index Gute Arbeit‘. Berlin, 119 S.
Abstract
"Die Ergebnisse zeigen, an welchen Stellen Beschäftigte ausgebremst oder benachteiligt werden und wo gewonnene Energie eingebüßt wird, aber auch was Beschäftigte an ihrer Arbeit schätzen und woraus sie Motivation und Antrieb ziehen. Dazu wurden beispielsweise Fragen zu den Themen Personalmangel, Einkommen und flexible Arbeitszeiten gestellt und diese unter anderem nach Gleichstellungskriterien ausgewertet. Als Senatorin für Arbeit, Soziales, Gleichstellung, Integration, Vielfalt und Antidiskriminierung ist es mir besonders wichtig, arbeitsmarktrelevante Verbesserungen anzustoßen. Für weitergehende Überlegungen und Diskussionen bieten die vorliegenden Daten eine hervorragende Grundlage. Wobei auch klar ist: Es geht um mehr als Zahlen - es geht um Menschen. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass 47 Prozent der Beschäftigten in Berlin in (sehr) hohem Maß von den Folgen des Personalmangels betroffen sind. Besonders deutlich wird dieser Mangel in den Gesundheitsberufen, den Informatikberufen, den naturwissenschaftlichen Berufen sowie in den Verkehrs-, Logistik-, Sicherheits- und Reinigungsberufen bemerkbar. Für Beschäftigte heißt dies häufig zusätzliche Aufgaben und Überlastung, was zur Verschlechterung der Arbeitsbedingungen und der Arbeitsqualität sowie zu sinkender Arbeitszufriedenheit führen kann. Die Umbrüche durch Digitalisierung, demographischen Wandel und die klimagerechte Transformation von Wirtschaft und Arbeitswelt werden branchenbezogene Personal- und Fachkräftebedarfe weiter erhöhen. Der Senat arbeitet auch vor diesem Hintergrund an einer umfassenden Fachkräftestrategie, die Unternehmen und Beschäftigte bei der Transformation unterstützt, bisher ungenutzte Fachkräftepotentiale erschließt und die Aus- und Weiterbildung künftiger Fachkräfte befördern soll. Schlechte Arbeitsbedingungen und Unzufriedenheit der Beschäftigten haben unterschiedliche Ursachen. Eine der am häufigsten angegebenen Belastungsgründe ist eine nicht auskömmliche Bezahlung. Insgesamt 78 Prozent der Befragten, die ihr Einkommen als nicht ausreichend einschätzen, fühlen sich davon (eher) stark belastet. Männer fühlen sich von geringerer Bezahlung stärker belastet. Frauen sind aber in der Regel diejenigen, die durchschnittlich weniger Einkommen erzielen. So lag der Gender-Pay-Gap 2024 immer noch bei 16 Prozent. Um die Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf besser meistern zu können, sind neben der Bezahlung auch alternative Unterstützungsangebote von Arbeitgebenden wie die Nutzung von Homeoffice oder flexible Arbeitszeiten insbesondere für Beschäftigte, die Care Arbeit leisten, sehr wichtig. Vornehmlich in Bezug auf Homeoffice ist hier in über der Hälfte der Betriebe noch Luft nach oben. Ein umso erfreulicheres Ergebnis der Befragung ist, dass sich insgesamt nur sehr wenige Befragte Sorgen um ihre berufliche Zukunft machen. Es ist besonders wichtig, in Mitarbeitende zu investieren und sie weiterzubilden, um ihnen Fähigkeiten im Umgang mit neuen Entwicklungen wie künstlicher Intelligenz mitzugeben." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
I can't forget about U: lifetime unemployment and retirement wellbeing (2025)
Zitatform
Clark, Andrew E. & Anthony Lepinteur (2025): I can't forget about U: lifetime unemployment and retirement wellbeing. In: Economica, Jg. 92, H. 368, S. 1083-1100. DOI:10.1111/ecca.70007
Abstract
"It is well known that unemployment leaves scars after re-employment, but does this scarring effect persist even after retirement? We analysz European data on retirees from the SHARE panel, and show that the wellbeing of the retired continues to reflect the unemployment that they experienced over their working life. These scarring effects are somewhat smaller for older retirees, but larger for those who arguably had higher expectations regarding the labour market when they were active. The lower wellbeing from lifetime unemployment does not reflect lower retirement income. This long-run scarring for those who have left the labor market underlines that contemporaneous correlations significantly underestimate the wellbeing cost of unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((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
Socialism, identity and the well-being of unemployed women (2025)
Zitatform
Günther, Tom, Jakob Conradi & Clemens Hetschko (2025): Socialism, identity and the well-being of unemployed women. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102752
Abstract
"Unemployment influences people’s life satisfaction beyond negative income shocks. A large body of literature investigates these non-pecuniary costs of unemployment and stresses the importance of social norms, especially for men. We add to this literature by showing that norm non-compliance may equally inflate the non-pecuniary loss of well-being for unemployed women. Using German panel data, we use the German division as a natural experiment to compare unemployment-related life satisfaction losses between different cohorts of East and West German women. We hypothesise that being exposed to different legal norms concerning workforce participation and different opportunity cost of working after the division shaped social identities and thus social norms around work for the two German female populations in different ways. East German women were required to work whereas West German women were expected to focus on family care. We find that East German women suffer significantly more from unemployment than West German women. This difference is driven entirely by East German females who were exclusively raised in the former GDR. We do not find such diverging patterns for German men. Our findings imply that women suffer as much as men from unemployment if socialised in the same way." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))
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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
Long-term effects of on-the-job skills (mis)match on employee wellbeing and employability: a 7-wave longitudinal study (2025)
Koopmans, Linda; Preenen, Paul; Tooren, Marieke van den;Zitatform
Koopmans, Linda, Marieke van den Tooren & Paul Preenen (2025): Long-term effects of on-the-job skills (mis)match on employee wellbeing and employability: a 7-wave longitudinal study. In: Frontiers in psychology, Jg. 16. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1591769
Abstract
"On-the-job skills match, in which employee knowledge and proficiencies (skills) are well-matched with the needs of the job, is often considered more beneficial, both for employees as well as for organizations and society, than a mismatch. A mismatch can be underqualification (when the skill level is below that which is required in the job) and overqualification (when someone has too many skills for the job they are doing). In this paper, we examined dynamics in employees’ on-the-job skills (mis)match over time, as well as the impact of these (mis)matches on employee wellbeing and employability several years later. To this end, we used 7-wave longitudinal data (2015–2021) from TNO’s Dutch Cohort Study on Sustainable Employability (CODI). The sample consisted of 7,831 Dutch employees. Descriptive data showed that about one-third (36.5%) of employees consistently reported a skills match (from T1 through T7) and 50% reported at least one change in skills (mis)match between T1 and T7 (e.g., going from underqualification to a match, despite staying in the same job with the same employer). About one in eight (12.2%) consistently reported overqualification and a small proportion of employees (0.4%) consistently reported underqualification. Predictive analyses showed that prolonged on-the-job skills match (T1–T4) affected employees’ burnout complaints, job satisfaction, labor market position and employment status 1–3 years later. Further, it was shown that prolonged skills mismatches (underqualification and overqualification) affected employees ’ general health, work engagement, job satisfaction, labor market position, work ability en employment status 1–3 years later. Also, a relation was found between overqualification and burnout complaints. Main findings and their implications are discussed and recommendations for reducing on-the-job skills mismatches are made." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Upgrading jobs for all: How welfare states shape differences in life satisfaction between the winners and losers of structural change (2025)
Zitatform
Küstermann, Leon (2025): Upgrading jobs for all: How welfare states shape differences in life satisfaction between the winners and losers of structural change. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 23, H. 4, S. 1895-1921. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwaf029
Abstract
"Structural economic change transforms occupational structures in a way that has benefited college-educated knowledge economy workers while creating risks for workers in routine and interpersonal service jobs. However, looking beyond economic outcomes, it is striking that differences in life satisfaction between these occupational groups in some European countries are much smaller than in others. To explain this pattern, I analyze data from the European Social Survey and the European Working Conditions Survey for twenty-five countries. I show that these life satisfaction differences are smaller in countries where jobs in “losing” occupations are designed similarly to jobs in “winning” occupations. Further, I demonstrate that both social investment and social protection reduce this life satisfaction gap by equalizing job satisfaction and job design between occupational groups. Hence, my results support the argument that welfare states achieve inclusive outcomes in the context of structural economic change through their interactions with workplaces." (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
How Perceived Job Insecurity, Voluntary Unemployment and Involuntary Job Loss Shape Couples’ Life Satisfaction (2025)
Zitatform
Lebert, Florence, Oliver Lipps & Alessandro Di Nallo (2025): How Perceived Job Insecurity, Voluntary Unemployment and Involuntary Job Loss Shape Couples’ Life Satisfaction. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 46, H. 4, S. 985-1001. DOI:10.1007/s10834-025-10062-8
Abstract
"To adequately examine the impact of job insecurity and unemployment on life satisfaction in the context of increasing de-standardisation of work arrangements, this study distinguishes nuanced forms of perceived job insecurity and unemployment and integrates them into a single scale for employment instability. These forms comprise (1) no perceived job insecurity, (2) some or (3) severe job insecurity, (4) voluntary unemployment, (5) involuntary unemployment, and (6) other reasons for unemployment. Using dyadic data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for working-age individuals and their partners, both perceived job insecurity and unemployment lead to decreased life satisfaction, with unemployment having a more pronounced impact on life satisfaction. Involuntary reasons for unemployment are more detrimental to life satisfaction than voluntary reasons. Overall, men suffer more from employment instability than women and their employment instability has a stronger impact on their female spouses’ life satisfaction than vice versa. The results are interpreted through the lens of ‘doing gender’ and ‘gender deviation’ theory." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
“I'm Not Worthless, I Do Help Society”: Exploring the Lived Experience of Community Placement in Activation Schemes (2025)
Zitatform
Petautschnig, Carla & Virpi Timonen (2025): “I'm Not Worthless, I Do Help Society”: Exploring the Lived Experience of Community Placement in Activation Schemes. In: Social Policy and Society, Jg. 24, H. 4, S. 601-615. 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
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, Jg. 180, H. 1, S. 183-204. 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
Lebenszufriedenheit in Deutschland: Trends, Einflussfaktoren und politische Relevanz (2025)
Potthoff, Jennifer; Gabel, Rebecca;Zitatform
Potthoff, Jennifer & Rebecca Gabel (2025): Lebenszufriedenheit in Deutschland: Trends, Einflussfaktoren und politische Relevanz. In: IW-Trends, Jg. 52, H. 4, S. 25-43. DOI:10.2373/1864-810X.25-04-02
Abstract
"Trotz aktueller Krisen bleibt das subjektive Wohlbefinden der Deutschen insgesamt hoch und erreicht gegenwärtig historische Höchstwerte wie in den 2010er Jahren. Besonders zufrieden sind junge Erwachsene und Menschen im Ruhestand, während die Lebenszufriedenheit im mittleren Alter tendenziell abnimmt – ein typischer „U-Verlauf“. Zu den zentralen Einflussfaktoren auf die Lebenszufriedenheit gehören unter anderem das Einkommen, Alter, Erwerbsstatus und die Überzeugung, das Leben durch eigenes Handeln beeinflussen zu können – die internale Kontrollüberzeugung. Dabei gilt: Personen mit stärkerer internaler Kontrollüberzeugung berichten eine höhere Lebenszufriedenheit. Mehr Geld erhöht die Zufriedenheit vor allem im unteren Einkommensbereich. Hinsichtlich der Arbeitszeit zeigt sich, dass Voll- und Teilzeitbeschäftigte deutlich zufriedener sind als geringfügig Beschäftigte. Regionale Unterschiede in der Lebenszufriedenheit bestehen, jedoch sind diese nur moderat und der Abstand schrumpft zunehmend. Spezifische Sorgenfelder, wie etwa um die eigene wirtschaftliche Situation oder die Gesundheit, beeinflussen die Lebenszufriedenheit signifikant. Die Lebenszufriedenheit ist mittlerweile ein empirisch breit untersuchter, ergänzender Wohlstandsindikator. Er ist relevant, um Gesellschaftspolitik nachhaltig und resilient zu gestalten und das Vertrauen in die Leistungsfähigkeit der Sozialen Marktwirtschaft zu stärken." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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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 – Grafik aktuell 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
Reciprocity and job mobility: The effect of effort-reward imbalance in the employer-employee relationship on turnover intentions and actual job changes (2025)
Zitatform
Prechsl, Sebastian (2025): Reciprocity and job mobility: The effect of effort-reward imbalance in the employer-employee relationship on turnover intentions and actual job changes. In: Social science research, Jg. 127, 2024-12-13. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103133
Abstract
"Numerous studies illustrate that a lack of reciprocity between effort and reward in the employer-employee relationship produces negative effects on employees' health and well-being. This might motivate employees to change jobs as a consequence. Based on German panel data with 16,243 observations from 4,641 employees, I analyze the effect of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) on turnover intentions and actual job changes and whether health-threatening ERI exposure affects the realization of job changes. The results indicate more frequent doctor visits, lower job satisfaction, higher turnover intentions, and higher job change probabilities when employees’ efforts in relation to rewards increase. The ERI effects on turnover intentions and job changes are both mediated through job satisfaction. Finally, I find no evidence that ERI exposure moderates the relationship between turnover intentions and actual job changes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
Weiterführende Informationen
Data product DOI: 10.5164/IAB.PASS-SUF0619.de.en.v3 -
Literaturhinweis
Deutsches Glücksparadoxon: trotz Krisenstimmung steigende Lebenszufriedenheit (2025)
Renz, Timon;Zitatform
Renz, Timon (2025): Deutsches Glücksparadoxon: trotz Krisenstimmung steigende Lebenszufriedenheit. In: Wirtschaftsdienst, Jg. 105, H. 5, S. 382-386. DOI:10.2478/wd-2025-0095
Abstract
"Es scheint paradox: In Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft häufen sich krisenhafte Ereignisse, gleichzeitig aber nimmt die Lebenszufriedenheit der Deutschen seit 2021 stetig zu. Mit den Daten des Glücksatlas von 2011 bis 2024 wird gezeigt, dass mindestens drei Ursachen für die aktuell zunehmende Lebenszufriedenheit ausgemacht werden können. Erstens erholen sich Bevölkerungsgruppen, die von der Coronapandemie besonders belastet waren (Frauen, junge Erwachsene), derzeit überproportional stark. Darüber hinaus gibt es zweitens einen Einkommens- und Konsumeffekt: Die Deutschen reisen wieder mehr und es zeigt sich eine deutlich gestiegene Einkommenszufriedenheit, da die inflationsbedingten Kaufkraftverluste weitestgehend kompensiert wurden. Drittens tragen die gestiegene Flexibilisierung der Arbeit, z. B. durch Homeoffice, und die gesunkene Arbeitszeit zur Lebenszufriedenheit bei." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Workplace Discrimination Against Pregnant and Postpartum Employees: Links to Well-Being (2025)
Zitatform
Schneider, Kimberly T., Sarah C. Williams & Rory E. Kuhn (2025): Workplace Discrimination Against Pregnant and Postpartum Employees: Links to Well-Being. In: International journal of environmental research and public health, Jg. 22, H. 8. DOI:10.3390/ijerph22081160
Abstract
"Pregnancy-related discrimination at work is a concern for many employees who navigate the pregnancy and postpartum stages of parenthood while working in the early-to-middle stages of their careers. Although there is legislation prohibiting pregnancy-related discrimination and ensuring accommodations postpartum, empirical evidence indicates many pregnant and postpartum employees still experience such behaviors. In this narrative review, we focus on describing the range of behaviors assessed in studies on pregnancy-related discrimination in several cultures, situating the occurrence of discrimination within theoretical frameworks related to stereotypes and gendered expectations. We also review evidence of employees’ postpartum experiences with a focus on the transition back to work, along with breastfeeding challenges related to pumping and storing milk at work. Regarding coping with pregnancy-related workplace discrimination and postpartum challenges during a return to work, we review the importance of social support, including instrumental and emotional support from allies and role models." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Einkommensverteilung in Deutschland und der Europäischen Union: IW-Verteilungsreport 2025 (2025)
Zitatform
Stockhausen, Maximilian, Judith Niehues & Henrik Engel (2025): Einkommensverteilung in Deutschland und der Europäischen Union. IW-Verteilungsreport 2025. (IW-Report / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,66), Köln, 34 S.
Abstract
"Trotz Rezession und Inflation lag Deutschland auch im Jahr 2023 unter den fünf Ländern der Europäischen Union (EU) mit der höchsten mittleren Kaufkraft der Einkommen. Obwohl die subjektiven Bewertungen des Haushaltsnettoeinkommens gegenüber dem Beginn der Coronapandemie - wie in vielen der einkommensstarken Länder - etwas negativer ausfallen, gibt es innerhalb der EU weiterhin nur wenige Länder, in denen die Einschätzungen positiver sind als in Deutschland. Tatsächlich berichteten in der europäischen Erhebung über Einkommen und Lebensbedingungen (EU-SILC) im Jahr 2023 in keinem der EU-27-Staaten weniger Menschen, relativ schlecht, schlecht oder sehr schlecht mit ihrem Einkommen auszukommen - und nur in den Niederlanden, Luxemburg und Schweden gaben mehr Menschen an, finanziell gut oder sehr gut zurechtzukommen. Dies spiegelt sich auch in der Entwicklung der Einkommensungleichheit wider. So zeichnet sich nach 2020 sowohl auf Basis des EU-SILC als auch des Mikrozensus (MZ) eine im Wesentlichen stabile Einkommensverteilung auf einem Niveau des Gini-Koeffizienten von 0,3 oder knapp darunter ab. Im europäischen Vergleich ein durchschnittliches Niveau, welches ähnlich zu Schweden ist, und das sich seit 2005 auf Basis der Mikrodaten der amtlichen Statistik in Deutschland kaum verändert hat. Das Einkommensarmutsrisiko (präziser: Niedrigeinkommensquote) ist im EU-27-Vergleich unterdurchschnittlich ausgeprägt und hat sich nach überwiegender Datenlage nach 2020 strukturell nicht verschlechtert. Bezüglich der langfristigen Entwicklung des Armutsrisikos gilt es zu beachten, dass unterschiedliche Datenquellen teilweise voneinander abweichende Trends aufweisen. Während im EU-SILC die Entwicklung des Armutsrisikos zwischen 2008 und 2023 weitestgehend unauffällig bleibt und sich im Bereich von 15 Prozent bis 16 Prozent bewegt, zeichnet sich im MZ zwischen 2005 und bis zum Zeitreihenbruch im Jahr 2019 zunächst ein ansteigender Trend ab, der sich in großen Teilen durch die erhöhte Zuwanderung seit 2010 erklären lässt. Nach dem Jahr 2020 ist die Niedrigeinkommensquote - bei gleichzeitig sinkender realer Niedrigeinkommensschwelle - auf Basis des MZ leicht rückläufig. Vor dem Hintergrund der krisengeprägten Entwicklungen der vergangenen Jahre kann die in der Gesamtschau weitestgehend stabile Verteilungssituation durchaus als positiv bewertet werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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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. (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. (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. (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
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
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
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))