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Ponomarenko, Valentina, Anja K. Leist & Louis Chauvel (2019): Increases in wellbeing in the transition to retirement for the unemployed. Catching up with formerly employed persons. In: Ageing and society, Jg. 39, H. 2, S. 254-276. DOI:10.1017/S0144686X17000976

Abstract

"This paper examines the extent to which wellbeing levels change in the transition to retirement depending on transitioning from being employed, unemployed or economically inactive. Whereas transitioning from employment to unemployment has been found to cause a decrease in subjective wellbeing with more time spent in unemployment, it is not clear how transitioning from unemployment to retirement affects wellbeing levels. We use the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to monitor the life satisfaction of respondents who retire in between two waves. We portray wellbeing scores before and after retirement and then identify the change in life satisfaction during the retirement transition using a First Difference model. Results indicate that being unemployed before retirement is associated with an increase in life satisfaction, but presents mainly a catching-up effect compared to employed persons transitioning to retirement. These results are still significant if we control for selection into unemployment and country differences. Retirement from labour market inactivity does not lead to significant changes in wellbeing. As the wellbeing of unemployed persons recovers after transitioning to retirement, especially the currently unemployed population should be supported to prevent detrimental consequences of economically unfavourable conditions and lower wellbeing." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rose, Damaris & Olga Stavrova (2019): Does life satisfaction predict reemployment? Evidence form German panel data. In: Journal of economic psychology, Jg. 72, H. June, S. 1-11. DOI:10.1016/j.joep.2018.12.008

Abstract

"While life satisfaction has been identified as an important predictor of occupational success, the question of whether it might contribute to reemployment success among unemployed individuals has received much less research attention. Contrasting three theoretical perspectives (motivation theories, positive psychology, and the optimum level of well-being literature), we explored whether life satisfaction has a negative, a positive, or a non-monotonic effect on the likelihood of reemployment. We used large-scale panel data from Germany that gave us the possibility to monitor unemployed individuals' life satisfaction and labor market outcomes for 10?years. Results of a multi-level discrete-time hazard analysis supported the optimum level of well-being perspective providing evidence for an inverted-U-shaped association between life satisfaction and reemployment probability. Moderate levels of life satisfaction were associated with a stronger likelihood of reemployment than lower or higher levels of life satisfaction. This effect remained robust against controlling for individuals' socio-economic characteristics, labor market experience and the Big Five personality traits." (Author's abstract, © 2018 Elsevier) ((en))

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Sage, Daniel (2019): Unemployment, wellbeing and the power of the work ethic. Implications for social policy. In: Critical social policy, Jg. 39, H. 2, S. 205-228. DOI:10.1177/0261018318780910

Abstract

"Unemployment is associated with a range of health and social problems, such as poor physical health and wellbeing. Welfare state research has recently considered how social policies can ameliorate the harmful effects of unemployment. This article argues that such policy suggestions disregard the role of the work ethic in shaping the experience of unemployment. In societies that glorify employment as a signifier of identity and status, it is unsurprising that those without employment suffer. Previous research supports this view, showing how subscription to the work ethic is associated with wellbeing amongst unemployed people. Original analysis of the European Values Study confirms the importance of the work ethic, showing how unemployed people with weaker work ethics have significantly higher life satisfaction than those with stronger work ethics. The article concludes that the most effective way of dealing with the deleterious effects of unemployment is to challenge the centrality of employment in contemporary societies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sameem, Sediq & Pavlo Buryi (2019): Impact of unemployment on happiness in the United States. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 26, H. 12, S. 1049-1052. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2018.1529390

Abstract

"This study considers the level of demonstrated happiness and unhappiness, the latter measured by the conditional probability of committing suicide within groups that are facing a higher unemployment rate and those that are not. Using individual-level US data from 1989 to 2004, our findings indicate that individuals have lower rates of suicide or are 'happy' when they live in a state that has lower unemployment rate." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Becker, Dominik & Klaus Birkelbach (2018): Social mobility and subjective well-being revisited. The importance of individual locus of control. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 54, H. April, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2018.01.001

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Headey, Bruce & Ruud Muffels (2018): A theory of life satisfaction dynamics: Stability, change and volatility in 25-year life trajectories in Germany. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 140, H. 2, S. 837-866. DOI:10.1007/s11205-017-1785-z

Abstract

"An adequate theory of life satisfaction (LS) needs to take account of both factors that tend to stabilise LS and those that change it. The most widely accepted theory in the recent past -- set-point theory -- focussed solely on stability (Brickman and Campbell, in: Appley (ed) Adaptation level theory, Academic Press, New York, pp 287 - 302, 1971; Lykken and Tellegen in Psychol Sci 7:186 - 189, 1996). That theory is now regarded as inadequate by most researchers, given that national panel surveys in several Western countries show that substantial minorities of respondents have recorded large, long term changes in LS (Sheldon and Lucas in The stability of happiness, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2014). In this paper we set out a preliminary revised theory, based mainly on analysis of the LS trajectories of the 2473 respondents in the German Socio-Economic Panel who reported their LS for 25 consecutive years in 1990 - 2014. The theory entails three sets of propositions in which we attempt to account for stability, change and also volatility. First, it is proposed that stability is primarily due to stable personality traits, and also to parental influence on LS. The second set of propositions indicates that medium and long term changes are due to differences and changes in personal values/life priorities and behavioural choices. Differences in the priority given to pro-social values, family values and materialistic values affect LS, as do behavioural choices relating to one's partner, physical exercise, social participation and networks, church attendance, and the balance between work and leisure. Medium term change is reinforced by two-way causation -- positive feedback loops -- between values, behavioural choices and LS. The third set of propositions breaks new ground in seeking to explain inter-individual differences in the volatility/variability of LS over time; why some individuals display high volatility and others low, even though their mean level of LS may change little over 25 years." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Hetschko, Clemens, Benjamin Küfner & Gesine Stephan (2018): Arbeitslosigkeit und Wohlbefinden: Interdisziplinäre Tagung des IAB eröffnet neue Einblicke. In: IAB-Forum H. 16.03.2018, o. Sz., 2018-03-13.

Abstract

"Die Erforschung von mentaler Gesundheit und Glück oder - wissenschaftlich formuliert, von subjektivem Wohlbefinden - hat in der Arbeitsmarktforschung in den vergangenen Jahren stark an Bedeutung gewonnen. 44 Forscherinnen und Forscher aus dem In- und Ausland trafen sich am 25. und 26. Januar dieses Jahres in Nürnberg, um den Zusammenhang zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und Wohlbefinden aus verschiedenen Perspektiven zu beleuchten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Hoorn, André van (2018): Is the happiness approach to measuring preferences valid? In: Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Jg. 73, H. April, S. 53-65. DOI:10.1016/j.socec.2018.02.002

Abstract

"Estimating heterogeneous happiness or subjective well-being (SWB) functions and making inferences about differences in people's tastes or preferences has some interesting advantages over stated and revealed preferences methods and is growing in popularity. However, evidence on the validity of such SWB-based or 'inferred' preferences measures, meaning these measures' ability to capture what they are supposed to capture, is lacking, widespread evidence on the (construct) validity of SWB indicators themselves notwithstanding. Empirical analysis reveals that differences in preferences inferred from heterogeneity in estimated happiness functions map onto differences in self-reported behavior and attitudes in expected ways, suggesting that SWB-based measures of differences in preferences indeed capture the construct they are supposed to capture. Hence, the conclusion that the happiness approach provides a valid means for making inferences about differences in people's preferences." (Author's abstract, © 2018 Elsevier) ((en))

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Kaiser, Caspar (2018): People do not adapt to income changes. A re-evaluation of the dynamic effects of (reference) income on life satisfaction with GSOEP and UKHLS data. (INET Oxford working paper 2018-07), 46 S.

Abstract

"Do people adapt to changes in income? This paper shows that there is no evidence of adaptation to income in GSOEP (1984-2015) and UKHLS (1996-2015) data. Following the empirical approach of Vendrik (2013), I arrive at this surprising answer by estimating (dynamic) life satisfaction equations, in which I simultaneously enter contemporaneous and lagged terms for a respondent’s own household income and their estimated reference income. Additionally, I instrument for own income and include lags of a large set of controls. Furthermore, I find that people also do not adapt to changes in reference income. Instead, reference income effects may be subject to reinforcement over time. To explain my findings, a comprehensive account of the puzzling and often divergent results of Ferrer-i-Carbonell and Van Praag (2008), Binder and Coad (2010), Di Tella et al. (2010), and Pfaff (2013) is given. What was found to be adaptation to raw household income in these studies turns out to have been driven by reinforcement of an initially small negative effect of household size that grows large over time. Implications of this result for the estimation of equivalence scales with subjective data are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lerch, Nils (2018): The causal analysis of the development of the unemployment effect on life satisfaction. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 991), Berlin, 51 S.

Abstract

"The long-term negative effects of unemployment, especially on subjective well-being, have been indicated by many studies. Therefore, unemployment and its effects on the individual life course must remain an important challenge for social policy. Many studies have focused on the cognitive component of subjective well-being, i.e., life satisfaction, and have analysed in particular its development during the unemployment period. The trajectory is usually characterized by the effects of anticipation, reaction and adaption. Studies have shown different findings regarding the shape of the effect development. The present study discusses the effect development in greater detail and analyses whether the development of the effect is different depending on unemployment experience using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and applying fixed effects regressions. The findings of this study support a non-linear effect development, which begins with the anticipation of unemployment. The trend can be described by a linear function and polynomials up to the fifth degree. The introduction of a model according to modern causal analysis and the interpretation of the dynamic development of the counterfactual outcomes are the secondary focuses of the study. A detailed discussion of causal assumptions and necessary control variables is needed to reveal the effect of unemployment on life satisfaction. The SOEP provides information about employment status on a monthly basis. This study shows possibilities for using this information for the construction of control groups and treatment groups and analyses with ideal episode patterns." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Merz, Joachim (2018): Are retirees more satisfied? Anticipation and adaptation effects of retirement on subjective well-being. A panel analysis for Germany. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 986), Berlin, 37 S.

Abstract

"Lebensqualität und Lebenszufriedenheit ist für den Einzelnen wie aber auch für die Gesellschaft insgesamt vor dem Hintergrund des demographischen Wandels mit nun länger andauernder Phase nach dem Eintritt in den Ruhestand von besonderer Bedeutung. Die vorliegende Studie will zur Diskussion der Lebenszufriedenheit einen empirisch fundierten Beitrag leisten insbesondere die Lebenszufriedenheit vor und nach einem markanten Ereignis, dem Renteneintritt, quantifizieren und dafür Erklärungsmuster finden. Vor allem wird mit den individuellen Verlaufsdaten und 33 Wellen des Sozio-ökonomischen Panels (SOEP) und der mikroökonometrischen kausalen fixed effects robusten Panelanalyse analysiert, ob die individuelle Lebenszufriedenheit tatsächlich vor dem Renteneintritt absinkt, der Renteneintritt sie hochschnellen lässt und sie nach einer gewissen Zeit wieder auf das vorherige Niveau der Lebenszufriedenheit absinkt. Zu klären wird also zu sein, ob sich ein solches Muster herausschält und wie bedeutend Antizipation und Adaption - bekannt von anderen markanten Ereignissen - für die Lebenszufriedenheit vor und nach dem Renteneintritt in Deutschland sind. Hauptergebnis: Individuelle und familiäre Faktoren erhöhen die Lebenszufriedenheit nach dem Renteneintritt für viele Jahre. Allerdings absorbiert die (vormalige) Arbeitssituation diesen Effekt sowohl für GRV Rentner als auch für Pensionäre (Beamte). Es verbleibt nur eine Periode der Verbesserung mit Antizipation und Adaption nahe dem Renteneintritt aber keine signifikante längere Änderung im Vergleich zur Lebenszufriedenheit vor dem Renteneintritt. Dies gilt für GRV Rentner, für Pensionäre wird kein signifikanter Effekt überhaupt feststellbar." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Mousteri, Victoria & Liam Delaney (2018): The scarring effect of unemployment on psychological well-being across Europe. In: Social science research, Jg. 72, H. May, S. 146-169. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2018.01.007

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Roex, Karlijn L. A. & Jesper J. Rözer (2018): The social norm to work and the well-being of the short- and long-term unemployed. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 139, H. 3, S. 1037-1064. DOI:10.1007/s11205-017-1723-0

Abstract

"Why are the unemployed particularly unhappy in some societies? According to the social norm theory of unemployment, the well-being of the non-employed is lower in countries with a strong social norm to work because of the greater stigma attached to unemployment. In this study, a social norm to work has been defined as the extent to which people expect others to work: do people think the unemployed should take any job they are offered, or should they have a right to refuse? The combined world and European values study and the European social survey were used to test the theory. Multilevel analyses show that - net of one's own norm and other measures of the social norm to work, such as one's personal work ethic - the well-being of unemployed men is lower in countries with a strong social norm to work, in particular that of the long-term unemployed. Overall, it appears that the social norm to work still weighs more heavily upon men than women." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Song, Younghwan (2018): Job displacement and subjective well-being: Findings from the American Time Use Survey Well-Being Modules. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 52, S. 1-13. DOI:10.1186/s12651-018-0249-5

Abstract

"Using matched cross-sectional data drawn from the 2010 and 2012 Displaced Workers Supplements of the Current Population Surveys and the 2010, 2012, and 2013 American Time Use Survey Well-Being Modules, this paper examines the relationship between job displacement and various measures of subjective well-being by sex. Displaced men report lower levels of life evaluation than nondisplaced men due to the differences in employment, marital status and income, whereas displaced women report lower levels of net affect and happiness and increased pain, sadness, and stress than nondisplaced women, but no difference in their life evaluation. Among men, those displaced by layoffs, not by plant closings, express lower levels of life evaluation than those not displaced, but there is no such difference by cause of displacement among women. The negative relationship between job displacement and subjective well-being decreases over time for both men and women." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Tammelin, Mia (Hrsg.) (2018): Family, work and well-being. Emergence of new issues. (SpringerBriefs in well-being and quality of life research), Cham: Springer London, 116 S. DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-76463-4

Abstract

"This book analyses the current state-of-the-art research on families, working hours and well-being in Europe, addressing both paid and non-paid work from a family perspective, and introducing emerging issues related to working hours and family life. Further, it discusses the implications of these issues for the well-being of individuals and families. Examining topics such as the division of paid and non-paid work within families, flexibility patterns, the 24/7 society, intensification of work, and the implication of mobile technology for work - family relations, it illustrates how the experiences of working families differ depending on their socio-economic status." (Publisher information, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel & George Ward (2017): Happiness at work. (CEP discussion paper 1474), London, 72 S.

Abstract

"Happiness is typically defined by how people experience and evaluate their lives as a whole. Since the majority of people spend much of their lives at work, it is critically important to gain a solid understanding of the role that employment and the workplace play in shaping happiness for individuals and communities around the world. In this paper, we focus largely on the role of work and employment in shaping people's happiness, and investigate how employment status, job type, and workplace characteristics relate to measures of subjective wellbeing." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hetschko, Clemens & Ronnie Schöb (2017): Modes of employment and identity. In: Die Unternehmung. Swiss Journal of Business Research and Practice, Jg. 71, H. 4, S. 369-389., 2017-10-09. DOI:10.5771/0042-059X-2017-4-368

Abstract

"In diesem Beitrag widmen wir uns dem Thema Arbeit aus Sicht der ökonomischen Wohlbefindensforschung. Wir dokumentieren anhand zahlreicher Studien, wie der Erwerbsstatus und das Arbeitsleben das subjektive Wohlbefinden beeinflussen. Im Gegensatz zur traditionellen Arbeitszufriedenheitsforschung basieren diese Studien zumeist auf umfassenden Längsschnittanalysen repräsentativer Daten und widmen sich Indikatoren des Wohlbefindens, die nicht spezifisch auf das Berufsleben abzielen. Im Ergebnis stellt sich heraus, dass insbesondere das Identitätsempfinden von Arbeitnehmern ein wichtiger Kanal ist, durch den Erwerbsstatus und Arbeitsplatzmerkmale das Wohlbefinden beeinflussen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Melzer, Silvia Maja & Ruud J. Muffels (2017): Migrants' pursuit of happiness. An analysis of the effects of adaptation, social comparison and economic integration on subjective well-being on the basis of German panel data for 1990-2014. In: Migration studies, Jg. 5, H. 2, S. 190-215. DOI:10.1093/migration/mnx021

Abstract

"German reunification provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of migration on subjective well-being (SWB) on the basis of longitudinal pre- and post-migration data. Our main goal is to assess the effects of adaptation, social comparison and economic integration on the change in SWB associated with migration from eastern to western Germany after the German reunification of 1990. We expect that gains or losses in SWB after migration are influenced by how migrants adapt to their new economic conditions, with whom they compare themselves and how well they integrate economically (as indicated by their relative income position) into the new society. We estimate fixed-effects generalized least squares regressions using Socio-Economic Panel data for the period 1990 - 2014. The results indicate a positive and strong effect of migration on SWB, both for men and women, which results in part from the higher incomes migrants earn in the new society. In line with the Easterlin paradox, our results show that general income increases do not generate equivalent gains in SWB because of processes of adaptation and social comparison. For migrating men the increase in SWB is diminished significantly by a dissatisfaction resulting from comparing their income with that of their new peers in western Germany and that of their former peers in eastern Germany. The change in SWB of migrating women and men is much more dependent on social comparison than on economic integration." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mueller, Swantje, Jenny Wagner, Gert G. Wagner, Nilam Ram & Denis Gerstorf (2017): How far reaches the power of personality? Personality predictors of terminal decline in well-being. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 944), Berlin, 56 S.

Abstract

"Personality is a powerful predictor of central life outcomes, including subjective well-being. Yet, we still know little about how personality manifests in the very last years of life when well-being typically falls rapidly. Here, we investigate whether the Big Five personality traits buffer (or magnify) terminal decline in well-being beyond and in interaction with functioning in key physical and social domains. We applied growth models to up to 10-year longitudinal data from 629 now deceased participants in the nation-wide German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP; age at death: M = 76 years; SD = 11). Lower neuroticism and higher conscientiousness were each uniquely associated with higher late-life well-being one year prior to death. At the same time, participants low in neuroticism experienced steeper terminal well-being declines. Similarly, individuals high in agreeableness and women high in extraversion reported higher well-being far away from death, but experienced more severe terminal decline, such that personality-related differences in well-being were not discernible anymore at one year prior to death. Interaction effects further revealed that individuals suffering from disability benefit less from higher levels of conscientiousness, while openness to experience appeared particularly beneficial for the less educated. We conclude that in the context of often severe late-life health challenges that accompany the last years of life, adaptive personality-related differences continue to be evident and sizeable for some traits, but appear to diminish and even reverse in direction for other traits. We discuss possible underlying mechanisms and practical implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schöb, Ronnie (2017): Ungleichheit und Zufriedenheit. Anmerkungen zur Ungleichheitsdebatte. In: Ifo Dresden berichtet, Jg. 24, H. 4, S. 32-35.

Abstract

"Befragungen zur Lebenszufriedenheit in Deutschland zeigen einen deutlichen Anstieg der Zufriedenheit in den Jahren 2005 bis 2015. In der gegenwärtigen politischen Diskussion wird dagegen häufig ein Bild gezeichnet, wonach sich immer mehr Menschen abgehängt fühlen und zunehmend Sorgen um die Zukunft machen. Blickt man aber auf die Entwicklung der subjektiven Lebenszufriedenheit in den unterschiedlichen Einkommensgruppen, zeigt sich, dass die Schere zwischen Unzufriedenen und Zufriedenen nicht etwa aufgegangen ist, sondern sich sogar etwas geschlossen hat. Der vorliegende Beitrag ergründet mögliche Ursachen dieser gegensätzlichen Wahrnehmung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Yasar, Rusen (2017): Subjective well-being and income: a compromise between Easterlin paradox and its critiques. (Economics. Discussion papers 2017-113), Kiel, 25 S.

Abstract

"Despite rising popularity of subjective well-being (SWB) as a proxy for utility, its relationship with income is still unresolved. Against the background of debates around the 'Easterlin paradox', this paper seeks a compromise between two positions: one that insists on individual relative income, and one that finds similarity between individual and aggregate levels. Proposing a model which puts the emphasis on the interaction between individual and aggregate-level factors, it argues that the effect of relative income on SWB varies across countries as a function of average income, in addition to a relatively small direct effect of the latter, in partial agreement with the two major positions. The model is tested cross-sectionally on the data from the latest wave of World Values Survey. The results from hierarchical mixed-effect models confirm the main argument. But further examination reveals that there is still unaccounted variation especially in middle-income economies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2017): How's life? 2017. Measuring well-being. (How's life? 04), Paris, 458 S. DOI:10.1787/how_life-2017-en

Abstract

"Alle zwei Jahre stellt die OECD die Frage: Wie ist das Leben? Wie steht es um Einkommen und Beschäftigung, aber auch Wohnen, Gesundheit, Bildung, den sozialen Zusammenhalt oder die Work-Life-Balance? Die aktuelle Untersuchung zeigt: In den letzten zehn Jahren hat sich die Lebensqualität in vielen Bereichen verbessert, doch es gibt auch rückläufige Entwicklungen und vor allem Unterschiede nach Geschlecht und Bildungsniveau.
Die OECD-Studie 'How's Life? 2017' analysiert mithilfe von 50 international vergleichbaren Indikatoren jenseits des Bruttoinlandsprodukts die Lebensbedingungen der Menschen in den 35 OECD- und sechs Partnerländern. Ein Kapitel befasst sich mit der Situation von Migranten. Ein weiteres Kapitel präsentiert die Ergebnisse der einzelnen Länder." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Burkhauser, Richard V., Jan-Emmanuel De Neve & Nattavudh Powdthavee (2016): Top incomes and human well-being around the world. (CEP discussion paper 1400), London, 57 S.

Abstract

"The share of income held by the top 1 percent in many countries around the world has been rising persistently over the last 30 years. But we continue to know little about how the rising top income shares affect human well-being. This study combines the latest data to examine the relationship between top income share and different dimensions of subjective well-being. We find top income shares to be significantly correlated with lower life evaluation and higher levels of negative emotional well-being, but not positive emotional well-being. The results are robust to household income, individual's socio-economic status, and macroeconomic environment controls." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Crost, Benjamin (2016): Can workfare programs offset the negative effect of unemployment on subjective well-being? In: Economics Letters, Jg. 140, H. March, S. 42-47. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2015.12.007

Abstract

"Previous research suggests that unemployment negatively affects indicators of mental health and well-being, but it remains unclear whether active labor market policy can offset this effect. This paper examines a workfare program that was a key part of Germany's active labor market policy for over 30 years. Fixed effects panel estimates suggest that participation in the workfare program offset most, though not all, of the negative effect of unemployment on subjective life satisfaction. Robustness tests find no evidence that this estimate is due to non-parallel time-trends, unobserved shocks in the pre-treatment period, adaptation to unemployment or differences in regional unemployment rates. These results suggest that active labor market policies can help reduce the negative psychological effect of unemployment." (Author's abstract, © 2016 Elsevier) ((en))

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Ewers, Mara (2016): Vertrauen und emotionale Stabilität als Determinanten von Erfolg und Lebenszufriedenheit. In: IW-Trends, Jg. 43, H. 2, S. 1-89. DOI:10.2373/1864-810X.16-02-06

Abstract

"Wie erklären sich Unterschiede im guten und erfolgreichen Leben, wenn man dieses an der Lebens- und Arbeitszufriedenheit, dem Bruttostundenlohn, der Gesundheit und den Ausbildungsjahren festmacht? Erkenntnisse fachübergreifender Forschung von Ökonomen und Psychologen werfen die Frage auf, ob allein ökonomische Präferenzen sowie gesellschaftliche und ökonomische Rahmenbedingungen hierfür verantwortlich sind. Die vorliegende Untersuchung zeigt, dass Ungleichheit auch eine Folge der Entwicklung der Persönlichkeit ist. Ökonomische Präferenzen und Persönlichkeitsmerkmale sind nicht perfekt austauschbar. Vielmehr ergänzen sie sich. Erfolgreiche Bundesbürger in allen untersuchten Lebensbereichen weisen vor allem hohe Werte bei der emotionalen Stabilität und beim Vertrauen auf. Von den Bundesbürgern, die der Aussage 'Im Allgemeinen kann man den Menschen vertrauen' voll zustimmten, geben 72 Prozent eine hohe Lebenszufriedenheit an. Unter allen Deutschen trifft dies nur auf jeden zweiten zu." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Pfeifer, Christian & Inna Petrunyk (2016): Life satisfaction in Germany after reunification. Additional insights on the pattern of convergence. In: Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik, Jg. 236, H. 2, S. 217-239. DOI:10.1515/jbnst-2015-1010

Abstract

"The authors update previous findings on the total East-West gap in overall life satisfaction and its trend by using data from the German Socio- Economic Panel (SOEP) for the years 1992 to 2013. Additionally, the East-West gap and its trend are separately analyzed for men and women as well as for four birth cohorts. The results indicate that reported life satisfaction is on average significantly lower in East than in West German federal states and that part of the raw East-West gap is due to differences in household income and unemployment status. The conditional East-West gap decreased in the first years after the German reunification and remained quite stable and sizeable since the mid-nineties. The results further indicate that gender differences are small. But the East-West gap is significantly smaller and shows a trend towards convergence for younger birth cohorts." (Author's abstract, © De Gruyter) ((en))

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Poppitz, Philipp (2016): Does self-perceptions and income inequality match? The case of subjective social status. (IMK working paper 173), Düsseldorf, 28 S.

Abstract

"This paper uses subjective social status to test whether individual comparisons are driven by income and wealth, or other dimensions of inequality including education and prestige. Using a cross-sectional data set of 18 European countries and a mixed model with an MCMC estimation method, this work reveals that material factors are just as important as non-material factors. Besides income and wealth, social and cultural capital are important factors to explain the gap between income inequality and the perception of inequality. The most relevant institutions to explain the cross-country differences within Europe are the GDP level, average health and the education system, which also moderates the relevance of wealth on subjective social status." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schnitzlein, Daniel D. & Christoph Wunder (2016): Are we architects of our own happiness? The importance of family background for well-being. In: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Jg. 16, H. 1, S. 125-149. DOI:10.1515/bejeap-2015-0037

Abstract

"This paper analyzes whether individuals have equal opportunity to achieve happiness (or well-being). We estimate sibling correlations and intergenerational correlations in self-reported life satisfaction, satisfaction with household income, job satisfaction, and satisfaction with health. We find high sibling correlations for all measures of well-being. The results suggest that family background explains, on average, between 30% and 60% of the inequality in permanent well-being. The influence is smaller when the siblings' psychological and geographical distance from their parental home is larger. Results from intergenerational correlations suggest that parental characteristics are considerably less important than family and community factors." (Author's abstract, © De Gruyter) ((en))

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Brown, Sarah, Daniel Gray & Jennifer Roberts (2015): The relative income hypothesis. A comparison of methods. In: Economics letters, Jg. 130, H. May, S. 47-50. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2015.02.031

Abstract

"Studies of the relative income hypothesis find positive and negative effects of relative income. To facilitate comparisons we use a large household panel and highlight the sensitivity of the relative income effect to the definition of the reference group and to the estimation strategy employed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Calvo, Esteban, Christine A. Mair & Natalia Sarkisian (2015): Individual troubles, shared troubles: the multiplicative effect of individual and country-level unemployment on life satisfaction in 95 nations (1981 - 2009). In: Social forces, Jg. 93, H. 4, S. 1625-1653. DOI:10.1093/sf/sou109

Abstract

"Although the negative association between unemployment and life satisfaction is well documented, much theoretical and empirical controversy surrounds the question of how unemployment actually shapes life satisfaction. Previous studies suggest that unemployment may endanger subjective well-being through individual experiences, contextual influences, or a combination of both. Drawing on data from the World and European Values Surveys, National Accounts Official Country Data, Social Security Programs Throughout the World Reports, World Development Indicators, and World Income Inequality databases for 398,533 individuals in 95 nations (1981 - 2009), we use three-level hierarchical linear models to test four competing theory-based hypotheses -- that unemployment shapes life satisfaction through individual, contextual, additive, or multiplicative effects. Our results support a multiplicative interaction between individual- and country-level unemployment. Unemployed individuals are less satisfied than other individuals, and when unemployment rates rise, their satisfaction drops even further below students, homemakers, and employed individuals; retirees, however, become more similar to the unemployed. We discuss these findings in light of previous theoretical models to argue for a model where individual unemployment is understood in the context of diverse labor force statuses and national unemployment rates. We conclude with policy suggestions aiming to address the negative consequences of unemployment through individualized and contextualized plans." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Headey, Bruce & Ruud Muffels (2015): People typically experience extended periods of relative happiness or unhappiness due to positive feedback loops between LS and variables which are both causes and consequences of LS. In: Schmollers Jahrbuch, Jg. 135, H. 1, S. 97-108. DOI:10.3790/schm.135.1.97

Abstract

"Long term panel data enable researchers to construct trajectories of LS for individuals over time. Bar charts of trajectories, and subsequent statistical analysis, show that respondents typically spend multiple consecutive years above and below their own long-term mean level of LS. We attempt to explain these multi-year waves of change by estimating structural equation models with two-way causal links between LS and variables usually treated as causes of LS, including health, frequency of physical exercise and frequency of social activities. Results are interpreted as showing positive feedback loops between these variables and LS, such that gains and losses of LS tend to be reinforced over time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mavridis, Dimitris (2015): The unhappily unemployed return to work faster. In: IZA journal of labor economics, Jg. 4, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1186/s40172-014-0015-z

Abstract

"This paper shows that job loss is associated with a fall in subjective well-being (SWB). It then looks at how this change in SWB predicts job search and unemployment duration. The findings suggest that those who report feeling hurt by unemployment have shorter unemployment durations. Men who report a loss of SWB are also more likely to look for a job, but women's job search is not affected by the SWB loss. These findings confirm the theoretical prediction from job search theory: search effort and unemployment duration are affected by the utility differential between having a job and being unemployed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Oswald, Andrew J., Eugenio Proto & Daniel Sgroi (2015): Happiness and productivity. In: Journal of Labor Economics, Jg. 33, H. 4, S. 789-822. DOI:10.1086/681096

Abstract

"Some firms say they care about the well-being and 'happiness' of their employees. But are such claims hype or scientific good sense? We provide evidence, for a classic piece rate setting, that happiness makes people more productive. In three different styles of experiment, randomly selected individuals are made happier. The treated individuals have approximately 12% greater productivity. A fourth experiment studies major real-world shocks bereavement and family illness. Lower happiness is systematically associated with lower productivity. These different forms of evidence, with complementary strengths and weaknesses, are consistent with the existence of a causal link between human well-being and human performance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pfeifer, Christian & Inna Petrunyk (2015): Life satisfaction in Germany after reunification. Additional insights on the pattern of convergence. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 764), Berlin, 27 S.

Abstract

"The authors update previous findings on the total East-West gap in overall life satisfaction and its trend by using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for the years 1992 to 2013. Additionally, the East-West gap and its trend are separately analyzed for men and women as well as for four birth cohorts. The results indicate that reported life satisfaction is on average significantly lower in East than in West German federal states and that part of the raw East-West gap is due to differences in household income and unemployment status. The conditional East-West gap decreased in the first years after the German reunification and remained quite stable and sizeable since the mid-nineties. The results further indicate that gender differences are small. But the East-West gap is significantly smaller and shows a trend towards convergence for younger birth cohorts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ruckriegel, Karlheinz (2015): Zur Verwendung von "Subjektiven Indikatoren" (Erkenntnissen der interdisziplinären Glücksforschung) in der (Wirtschafts-) Politik - eine grundsätzliche Kritik am Sachverständigenrat Wirtschaft (SVR). (Sonderdruck. Schriftenreihe der Technischen Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm 58), Nürnberg, 21 S.

Abstract

"Bei der Stellungnahme zum Indikatorensystem im Jahre 2010, aber auch beim Mitwirken des SVR bei der Enquete-Kommission durch seinen gegenwärtigen Vorsitzenden, zeigte sich an der (scharf) ablehnenden Haltung gegen eine Verwendung von subjektiven Indikatoren als Orientierungshilfe für die (Wirtschafts-) Politik, dass der SVR noch (immer!) im neoklassischen (neoliberalen) Paradigma und der für dieses Paradigma grundlegenden 'homo oeconomicus-Annahme' und darauf fußend der Theorie der 'offenbarten Präferenzen' verhaftet ist. Die grundsätzliche Ablehnung subjektiver Indikatoren durch den SVR bedeutet faktisch auch eine Leugnung der Psychologie als Wissenschaft.
Als der Psychologe Daniel Kahneman, der für seine Arbeiten auf dem Gebiet der Behavioural Economics (Verhaltensökonomik) 2002 auch den Nobelpreis für Wirtschaftswissenschaften erhielt, erstmals von der homo oeconomicus- Annahme der neoklassischen Ökonomik, wonach der Mensch in der Ökonomik rational und egoistisch sei und seine Präferenzen (im Zeitablauf) nicht ändere ('the agent of economic theory is rational and selfish, and that his tastes do not change'), glaubte er als erfahrener Psychologe kein Wort davon ('not to believe a word of it')." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Benjamin, Daniel J., Ori Heffetz, Miles S. Kimball & Nichole Szembrot (2014): Beyond happiness and satisfaction: toward well-being indices based on stated preference. In: The American economic review, Jg. 104, H. 9, S. 2698-2735. DOI:10.1257/aer.104.9.2698

Abstract

"This paper proposes foundations and a methodology for survey- based tracking of well-being. First, we develop a theory in which utility depends on 'fundamental aspects' of well-being, measurable with surveys. Second, drawing from psychologists, philosophers, and economists, we compile a comprehensive list of such aspects. Third, we demonstrate our proposed method for estimating the aspects' relative marginal utilities -- a necessary input for constructing an individual-level well-being index -- by asking ~4,600 US survey respondents to state their preference between pairs of aspect bundles. We estimate high relative marginal utilities for aspects related to family, health, security, values, freedom, happiness, and life satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Blanchflower, David G., David N. F. Bell, Alberto Montagnoli & Mirko Moro (2014): The happiness trade-off between unemployment and inflation. In: Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Jg. 46, H. S2, S. 117-141. DOI:10.1111/jmcb.12154

Abstract

"Unemployment and inflation lower well-being. The macroeconomist Arthur Okun characterized the negative effects of unemployment and inflation by the misery index - the sum of the unemployment and inflation rates. This paper makes use of a large European data set, covering the period 1975 - 2013, to estimate happiness equations in which an individual subjective measure of life satisfaction is regressed against unemployment and inflation rate (controlling for personal characteristics, country, and year fixed effects). We find, conventionally, that both higher unemployment and higher inflation lower well-being. We also discover that unemployment depresses well-being more than inflation. We characterize this well-being trade-off between unemployment and inflation using what we describe as the misery ratio. Our estimates with European data imply that a 1 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate lowers well-being by more than five times as much as a 1 percentage point increase in the inflation rate." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Clark, Andrew E., Sarah Fleche & Claudia Senik (2014): Economic growth evens-out happiness. Evidence from six surveys. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 633), Berlin, 32 S.

Abstract

"In spite of the great U-turn that saw income inequality rise in Western countries in the 1980s, happiness inequality has dropped in countries that have experienced income growth (but not in those that did not). Modern growth has reduced the share of both the 'very unhappy' and the 'perfectly happy'. The extension of public amenities has certainly contributed to this greater happiness homogeneity. This new stylized fact comes as an addition to the Easterlin paradox, offering a somewhat brighter perspective for developing countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dingemans, Ellen & Kène Henkens (2014): Involuntary retirement, bridge employment, and satisfaction with life. A longitudinal investigation. In: Journal of organizational behavior, Jg. 35, H. 4, S. 575-591. DOI:10.1002/job.1914

Abstract

"The increased popularity of bridge employment has raised questions about its consequences for well-being in late adult life. This research explored the consequences of bridge employment for the level of life satisfaction of older adults during the retirement transition period. Changes in life satisfaction were considered to be a function of the different intentions and motives for taking bridge jobs. Furthermore, the impact of bridge employment was empirically examined conditional on the voluntariness of the exit from the career job. Panel data on Dutch retirees (N?=?1248) were investigated using conditional change models. The results demonstrate that older adults willing to prolong their work careers but unable to find bridge jobs reported lower levels of life satisfaction compared with full retirees not considering bridge employment. In addition, participation in bridge employment for financial motives was associated with decreases in life satisfaction compared with postretirement working based on intrinsic motives. Moreover, compared with voluntary retirement, involuntary retirement was detrimental to life satisfaction, but participation in a bridge job was found to mitigate this negative shock. These findings contribute to the understanding of the consequences of various postretirement employment trajectories for older individuals." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hardering, Friedericke (2014): Zwischen Glücksjagd und Sinnsuche in der Arbeitswelt. In: Sozialwissenschaften und Berufspraxis, Jg. 37, H. 2, S. 175-187.

Abstract

"Im Folgenden wird zunächst auf die soziologische Erforschung von Glücksvorstellungen der Arbeit eingegangen. Anschließend werden verschiedene subjektive Bezugnahmen auf Glücksvorstellungen vorgestellt, die aus Interviews mit freiwilligen BerufswechslerInnen rekonstruiert wurden. Da diese Gruppe durch den beruflichen Wechsel eine erhöhte Reflexivität im Hinblick auf eigene Erwartungen an die Arbeit aufweist, lassen sich Deutungen und Eigentheorien darüber, welche Glücksvorstellungen sich für die InterviewpartnerInnen als tragfähig erwiesen haben und welchen Vorstellungen vom Glück sie folgen, gut rekonstruieren. Insgesamt zielt der Beitrag darauf ab, die eigensinnigen Aneignungen und Reaktualisierungen von Glücksvorstellungen in der Arbeit abzubilden, um so den Blick auf individuell genutzte Handlungsspielräume und Ressourcen zu richten und zudem einen konzeptionellen Beitrag zur Systematisierung gegenwärtiger Glücksvorstellungen der Arbeit zu leisten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Krause, Annabelle (2014): Happiness and work. (IZA discussion paper 8435), Bonn, 12 S.

Abstract

"The relationship between happiness and work is subject to an ever growing empirical literature in economics. The analyses are mostly based on large-scale survey data to measure subjective well-being. Whereas one large strand of research investigates the effect of job loss and becoming unemployed, another field of study focuses on the determinants of job satisfaction evolving around employment conditions, self-employment, and potential public sector satisfaction premiums. A smaller part of the literature investigates potential driving effects of happiness on labor market outcomes. This article will give an overview about the most significant subareas of research and the empirical literature in economics to date." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Powdthavee, Nattavudh & Alois Stutzer (2014): Economic approaches to understanding change in happiness. (IZA discussion paper 8131), Bonn, 24 S.

Abstract

"Are people condemned to an inherent level of experienced happiness? A review of the economic research on subjective well-being gives reason to the assessment that happiness can change. First, empirical findings clearly indicate that people are not indifferent to adverse living conditions when reporting their subjective well-being as observed for limited freedom of choice, low levels of democratization, unemployment, low income, etc. Second, considering people's adaptation to life events and (external) conditions reveals substantial heterogeneity in the speed as well as the degree of reversion. Together, the evidence suggests that reported subjective well-being is a valuable complementary source of information about human well-being and the phenomenon of adaptation. Many challenges, of course, remain. First, we are only at the beginning of understanding variation in the process of adaptation. The modeling of happiness over the life course promises a productive perspective. Second, adaptation might well pose a challenge to individual decision-making when people are not good in predicting it. Third, adaptation might have great consequences for public policy and the idea of social welfare maximization depending on how fast and slow adapting people are treated." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sarracino, Francesco (2014): Richer in money, poorer in relationships and unhappy? Time series comparisons of social capital and well-being in Luxembourg. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 115, H. 2, S. 561-622. DOI:10.1007/s11205-012-0223-5

Abstract

"The worrying decline of social capital (Putnam in Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community. Simon and Schuster, New York, 2000) and the disappointing trends of subjective well-being characterising the US (Easterlin in Nations and households in economic growth. Academic Press, New York, 1974; Easterlin and Angelescu in Happiness and growth the world over: time series evidence on the happiness income paradox, 2009; Easterlin et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci 107:22463 - 22468, 2010) raise urgent questions for modern societies: is the erosion of social capital a feature of the more developed and richer countries or is it rather a characteristic aspect of the American society? To test the hypothesis that the erosion of social capital and declining well-being are not a common feature of richer countries, present work focuses on Luxembourg. The main results are: (1) the erosion of social capital is not a legacy of the richest countries in the world; (2) between 1999 and 2008, people in Luxembourg experienced a substantial increase in almost every proxy of social capital; (3) both endowments and trends of social capital and subjective well-being differ significantly within the population. Migrants participate less in social relationships and report lower levels of well-being; (4) the positive relationship between trends of subjective well-being and social capital found in previous literature is confirmed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zanden, Jan Luiten van, Joerg Baten, Marco Mira d¿Ercole, Auke Rijpma, Conal Smith & Marcel Timmer (Hrsg.) (2014): How was life? Global well-being since 1820. Paris, 269 S. DOI:10.1787/9789264214262-en

Abstract

"Die Lebensqualität der Menschen hat sich seit dem frühen 20. Jahrhundert in großen Teilen der Welt verbessert. Gerade in jüngerer Zeit haben sich die Lebensbedingungen in den Ländern rund um den Globus stärker angeglichen als das Bruttoinlandsprodukt pro Kopf. Mit einer Ausnahme, den Ländern südlich der Sahara.
Die Studie 'How Was Life? - Global Well-being since 1820' bietet zum ersten Mal systematische Erkenntnisse über langfristige Trends in Gesundheit, Bildung, sozialer Gleichheit, Umwelt oder persönlicher Sicherheit. Die historischen Daten erstrecken sich von inflationsbereinigten Löhnen über das BIP, die Lebenserwartung, Bildungsabschlüsse, Größe (als Maß für physisches Wohlbefinden und Ernährung), Sicherheit, politische Institutionen, die Umwelt bis hin zur Ungleichheit in Bezug auf Einkommen und zwischen den Geschlechtern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bartolini, Stefano, Ennio Bilancini & Francesco Sarracino (2013): Predicting the trend of well-being in Germany. How much do comparisons, adaptation and sociability matter? In: Social indicators research, Jg. 114, H. 2, S. 169-191. DOI:10.1007/s11205-012-0142-5

Abstract

"Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we estimate the variation of subjective well-being experienced by Germans over the last two decades testing the role of some of the major correlates of people's well-being. Our results suggest that the variation of Germans' well-being between 1996 and 2007 is well predicted by changes over time of income, demographics and social capital. The increase in social capital predicts the largest positive change in subjective well-being. Income growth, also predicts a substantial change in subjective well-being, but it is compensated for about three fourths by the joint negative predictions due to income comparison and income adaptation. Finally, we find that aging of the population predicts the largest negative change in subjective well-being. This result appears to hinge on the large loss of satisfaction experienced by individuals in old age." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Becchetti, Leonardo, Riccardo Massari & Paolo Naticchioni (2013): The drivers of happiness inequality. Suggestions for promoting social cohesion. (IZA discussion paper 7153), Bonn, 34 S.

Abstract

"This paper identifies and quantifies the contribution of a set of covariates in affecting levels and over time changes of happiness inequality. Using a decomposition methodology based on RIF regression, we analyse the increase in happiness inequality observed in Germany between 1992 and 2007, using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) database, deriving the following findings. First, trends in happiness inequality are mainly driven by composition effects, while coefficient effects are negligible. Second, among composition effects, education has an inequality-reducing impact, while the increase in unemployment contributes to the rise in happiness inequality. Third, the increase in average income has a reducing impact on happiness inequality, while the raise in income inequality cannot be considered as a driver of happiness inequality trends. A clear cut policy implication is that policies enhancing education and economic performance contribute to reduce happiness inequality and the potential social tensions arising from it." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Berger, Eva M. (2013): Happy working mothers? Investigating the effect of maternal employment on life satisfaction. In: Economica, Jg. 80, H. 317, S. 23-43. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0335.2012.00932.x

Abstract

"This paper analyses the effect of non-participation and part-time employment compared to full-time employment on life satisfaction of mothers in Germany. Using data from the SOEP and applying fixed-effects panel estimations, the results show that mothers in family-related non-participation and mothers employed part-time are less satisfied than mothers employed full-time. The direct and the indirect effect - due to foregone household income - each account for about half of the total effect. I attribute the found negative effects on the institutional and social conditions in Germany that prevent many mothers from reconciling (full-time) employment with motherhood." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bjørnskov, Christian, Axel Dreher, Justina A.V. Fischer, Jan Schnellenbach & Kai Gehring (2013): Inequality and happiness. When perceived social mobility and economic reality do not match. In: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Jg. 91, H. July, S. 75-92. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.017

Abstract

"We argue that perceived fairness of the income generation process affects the association between income inequality and subjective well-being, and that there are systematic differences in this regard between countries that are characterized by a high or, respectively, low level of actual fairness. Using a simple model of individual labor market participation under uncertainty, we predict that high levels of perceived fairness cause higher levels of individual welfare, and lower support for income redistribution. Income inequality is predicted to have a more favorable impact on subjective well-being for individuals with high fairness perceptions. This relationship is predicted to be stronger in societies that are characterized by low actual fairness. Using data on subjective well-being and a broad set of fairness measures from a pseudo micro-panel from the WVS over the 1990 - 2008 period, we find strong support for the negative (positive) association between fairness perceptions and the demand for more equal incomes (subjective well-being). We also find strong empirical support for the predicted differences in individual tolerance for income inequality, and the predicted influence of actual fairness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Boarini, Romina, Margherita Comola, Femke de Keulenaer, Robert Manchin & Conal Smith (2013): Can governments boost people's sense of well-being? The impact of selected labour market and health policies on life satisfaction. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 114, H. 1, S. 105-120. DOI:10.1007/s11205-013-0386-8

Abstract

"There is strong evidence that subjective well-being measures capture in a reliable way specific components of well-being that other non-subjective measures miss. The question of whether subjective well-being is policy amenable is however still largely unexplored in the research. This paper sheds some light on this issue, by looking at the impact of selected labour market and health policies on subjective well-being, using well-being data from the Gallup World Poll on the 34 OECD countries. The paper finds that the generosity of unemployment benefits and the strictness employment protection legislation affects positively life satisfaction, while out-of-pocket health expenses significantly reduce subjective well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bryson, Alex & George MacKerron (2013): Are you happy while you work? (CEP discussion paper 1187), London, 25 S.

Abstract

"Recent work in psychology and economics has investigated ways in which individuals experience their lives. This literature includes influences on individuals' momentary happiness. We contribute to this literature using a new data source, Mappiness (www.mappiness.org.uk), which permits individuals to record their wellbeing via a smartphone. The data contain more than a million observations on tens of thousands of individuals in the UK, collected since August 2010. We explore the links between individuals' wellbeing measured momentarily at random points in time and their experiences of paid work. We explore variation in wellbeing within-individual over time having accounted for fixed unobservable differences across people. We quantify the effects of working on individuals' affect relative to other activities they perform. We consider the effects of working on two aspects of affect: happiness and relaxation. We find paid work is ranked lower than any of the other 39 activities individuals engage in, with the exception of being sick in bed. Although controlling for other factors, including person fixed effects, reduces the size of the association its rank position remains the same and the effect is still equivalent to a 7-8% reduction in happiness relative to circumstances in which one is not working. Paid work has a similar though slightly larger negative impact on being relaxed. However, precisely how unhappy or anxious one is while working depends on the circumstances. Wellbeing at work varies significantly with where you work (at home, at work, elsewhere); whether you are combining work with other activities; whether you are alone or with others; and the time of day or night you are working." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel, Ed Diener, Louis Tay & Cody Xuereb (2013): The objective benefits of subjective well-being. (CEP discussion paper 1236), London, 35 S.

Abstract

"The aim of this paper is to survey the 'hard' evidence on the effects of subjective well-being. In doing so, we complement the evidence on the determinants of well-being by showing that human well-being also affects outcomes of interest such as health, income, and social behaviour. Generally, we observe a dynamic relationship between happiness and other important aspects of our lives, with influence running in both directions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dluhosch, Barbara & Daniel Horgos (2013): Trading up the happiness ladder. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 113, H. 3, S. 973-990. DOI:10.1007/s11205-012-0122-9

Abstract

"How globalization affects subjective happiness is highly disputed. Several studies use an index that amalgamates globalization's different dimensions into a single variable. Unlike previous studies and in order to better illuminate its facets, we adopt a disaggregated perspective on trade (policy) data. Distinguishing actual trade flows and the option value of trade, we find the former to slightly depress happiness, the latter to significantly promote happiness. Segmentation of WVS-data shows that the positive connotation is concentrated in low-income countries still in the process of climbing the income ladder, thus backing the notion of a shift in values." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dutta, Indranil & James Foster (2013): Inequality of happiness in the U.S.: 1972-2010. In: Review of Income and Wealth, Jg. 59, H. 3, S. 393-415. DOI:10.1111/j.1475-4991.2012.00527.x

Abstract

"It is well accepted that a country's GDP may not fully reflect its level of well-being. In recent years, happiness has emerged as an alternative indicator of well-being, and research has mainly focused on determining the level of happiness. While it is important to look at the level, the distribution of happiness is also a salient aspect in any evaluation of inequality. There has been a growing interest in the distribution of happiness, although the ordinal nature of the data makes the use of standard inequality measures problematic. Our paper contributes to the literature by exploring the distributions for the U.S. from 1972 to 2010. Based on new methods developed for ordinal data, we are able to overcome the problems associated with ordinality and obtain unambiguous rankings of happiness distributions. We also compute the level of happiness inequality using existing measures based on median centred approaches. Further, we decompose the median based inequality measures of happiness by gender, race, and region." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Easterlin, Richard A. (2013): Happiness, growth, and public policy. (IZA discussion paper 7234), Bonn, 50 S.

Abstract

"If society's goal is to increase people's feelings of well-being, economic growth in itself will not do the job. Full employment and a generous and comprehensive social safety net do increase happiness. Such policies are arguably affordable not only in higher income nations but also in countries that account for most of the population of the less-developed world. These conclusions are suggested by an analysis of a wide range of evidence on happiness in countries throughout the world." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Easterlin, Richard A. (2013): Happiness and economic growth. The evidence. (IZA discussion paper 7187), Bonn, 30 S.

Abstract

"Long term trends in happiness and income are not related; short term fluctuations in happiness and income are positively associated. Evidence for this is found in time series data for developed countries, transition countries, and less developed countries, whether analyzed separately or pooled. Skeptics, who claim that the long term time series trend relationship is positive, are mistaking the short term association for the long term one, or are misguided by a statistical artifact. Some analysts assert that in less developed countries happiness and economic growth are positively related 'up to some point,' beyond which the association tends to become nil, but time series data do not support this view. The most striking contradiction is China where, despite a fourfold multiplication in two decades in real GDP per capita from a low initial level, life satisfaction has not improved." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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FitzRoy, Felix R., Michael A. Nolan, Max F. Steinhardt & David Ulph (2013): Testing the tunnel effect: Comparison, age and happiness in UK and German panels. (IZA discussion paper 7452), Bonn, 34 S.

Abstract

"In contrast to previous results combining all ages we find positive effects of comparison income on happiness for the under 45s, and negative effects for those over 45. In the BHPS these coefficients are several times the magnitude of own income effects. In GSOEP they cancel to give no effect of effect of comparison income on life satisfaction in the whole sample, when controlling for fixed effects, and time-in-panel, and with flexible, age-group dummies. The residual age-happiness relationship is hump-shaped in all three countries. Results are consistent with a simple life cycle model of relative income under uncertainty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gandelman, Néstor & Rafael Porzecanski (2013): Happiness inequality: How much is reasonable? In: Social indicators research, Jg. 110, H. 1, S. 257-269. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9929-z

Abstract

"We compute the Gini indexes for income, happiness and various simulated utility levels. Due to decreasing marginal utility of income, happiness inequality should be lower than income inequality. We find that happiness inequality is about half that of income inequality. To compute the utility levels we need to assume values for a key parameter that can be interpreted as a measure of relative risk aversion. If this coefficient is above one, as many economists believe, then a large part of happiness inequality is not related to pecuniary dimensions of life." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Garz, Marcel (2013): Unemployment expectations, excessive pessimism, and news coverage. In: Journal of economic psychology, Jg. 34, H. February, S. 156-168. DOI:10.1016/j.joep.2012.09.007

Abstract

"This study employs monthly survey data and information obtained from media content analyses to investigate the potential link between (negativity in) economic news coverage and the pessimism in German unemployment expectations. For the period from 2001 to 2009, time-series estimates do not indicate a link in the short-run, but the cumulative effects of repeated media coverage affect long-run attitudes. A single negative report has a long-term effect similar to that of a positive one, but the quantitative dominance of negative over positive news causes an asymmetric reaction in unemployment expectations, which promotes pessimism." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Goerke, Laszlo & Markus Pannenberg (2013): Direct evidence on income comparisons and subjective well-being. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 549), Berlin, 18 S.

Abstract

"Subjective well-being (SWB) is generally argued to rise with relative income. However, direct evidence is scarce on whether and how intensively individuals undertake income comparisons, to whom they relate, and what they perceive their relative income to be. In this paper, novel data with direct information on income comparison intensity and perceived relative income with respect to predetermined reference groups is used to provide evidence on the relationship between income comparisons and SWB. We find negative correlations between comparison intensity and SWB for co-workers, people in the same occupation and friends. For job-related reference groups income comparisons are mostly upwards and perceiving to earn less than the reference group is negatively correlated with SWB." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gudmundsdottir, Dora Gudrun (2013): The impact of economic crisis on happiness. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 110, H. 3, S. 1083-1101. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9973-8

Abstract

"There is a common belief that economic crisis will lead to a decrease in subjective wellbeing. Previous studies indicate that income is correlated with happiness and unemployment with unhappiness. The relationship between increased income and happiness is well documented while the impact of decreased income has been less explored. The aim of this paper is to study how the economic downfall in Iceland, followed by reduced income and increased unemployment, affects happiness as well as to explore which groups are most vulnerable to changes in happiness and which are most resilient. The study is a longitudinal, nationally representative postal survey which assessed 5,918 individual's aged 18-79. A total of 4,092 (77.3%) answered again in 2009. The relationship between economic factors and happiness was explored using multiple linear regression to find out how much they explain of the happiness variance and the changes in happiness, together with demographic factors, health and social relationships. Results indicate that income and unemployment did not predict happiness but financial difficulties did. A decrease in happiness was detected after the collapse. The change in happiness from 2007 to 2009 was normally distributed, 40% had the same score in both years and an equal number increased as decreased. The explored factors did not explain the changes in happiness. The economic crisis had a limited affect on happiness. Those with financial difficulties were hardest hit. Changes in happiness need to be studied further since they are not well explained by the factors which influence cross-sectional levels of happiness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hajek, André (2013): Der Einfluss von Armut und Reichtum auf die Lebenszufriedenheit. Eine empirische Analyse mit dem SOEP unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Capability Approach. München: Utz, 319 S., Anhang.

Abstract

"In dem zweiten Kapitel werden die wesentlichen Begriffe dieser Arbeit näher vorgestellt. Dazu gehören die Termini Lebenszufriedenheit, Armut und Reichtum sowie der Ansatz der Verwirklichungschancen. Die Basis der Operationalisierung von Armuts- und Reichtumsvariablen bildet dabei der Ansatz der Verwirklichungschancen. Welchen Problemen und Fragen man sich dabei in der Praxis stellen muss, wird in dem dritten Kapitel thematisiert. Ein Exkurs zur Kausalität erfolgt danach am Anfang des vierten Kapitels (Kap. 4.1). Dies ist wesentlich, um die Erkenntnisse dieser Arbeit angemessen evaluieren zu können. Anschließend wird der Forschungsstand (wesentliche Theorien der Zufriedenheitsforschung und Einflussfaktoren der Lebenszufriedenheit) vorgestellt. Daraus werden entsprechende Hypothesen abgeleitet. Nachfolgend wird das Fundament für die empirischen Analysen erarbeitet (Vorstellung der Datenbasis, Operationalisierung, methodische Grundlagen). Nach einem anfänglichen Between-Vergleich zwischen Reichen und Nicht-Reichen sowie Armen und Nicht-Armen wird in dem empirischen Abschnitt mithilfe multivariater Analyseverfahren die Entwicklung der Individuen im Zeitverlauf betrachtet.
In Ergänzung zum vierten Kapitel wird im fünften Kapitel gezielt auf die Wirkung der Wahlfreiheit auf die Lebenszufriedenheit eingegangen. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf den Gebieten (1) soziale Exklusion, (2) Arbeitslosigkeit und (3) berufliche Weiterbildung. Über die Ergebnisse dieses Kapitels wird der besondere Nutzen des CA im Kontext der Armuts- und Reichtumsforschung herausgearbeitet.
Das sechste Kapitel berücksichtigt - in Erweiterung zum vierten Kapitel - sowohl potenzielle Antizipation- als auch Adaptationseffekte im ökonometrischen Modell, da derartige Effekte in der bisherigen Zufriedenheitsforschung beobachtet wurden. Dadurch kann die Effektdauer eingeschätzt werden. Beleuchtet wird im siebten Kapitel indessen das komplexe Zusammenwirken der Lebenszufriedenheit mit der Gesundheit, dem Einkommen und dem Erwerbsstatus bzw. der beruflichen Autonomie.
Im Anschluss daran wird im achten Kapitel der Frage nachgegangen: Wie tangiert makroökonomische Einkommensungleichheit die Individuen im Lande? Daran knüpft die Frage an, ob dieser Einfluss der Ungleichheit auf die Zufriedenheit zwischen den Gruppen der Einkommensarmen und Einkommensreichen differiert. Abschließend werden die einzelnen Ergebnisse im neunten Kapitel zusammengefasst und bewertet. Dies wird von einem Ausblick begleitet. Dieser weist auf künftige, bedeutende Fragestellungen hin." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Kapteyn, Arie, James P. Smith & Arthur van Soest (2013): Are Americans really less happy with their incomes? In: Review of Income and Wealth, Jg. 59, H. 1, S. 44-65. DOI:10.1111/j.1475-4991.2012.00532.x

Abstract

"Recent economic research on international comparisons of subjective well-being suffers from several important biases due to the potential incomparability of response scales within and across countries. In this paper we concentrate on self-reported satisfaction with income in two countries: the Netherlands and the U.S. The comparability problem is addressed by using anchoring vignettes. We find that in the raw data, Americans appear decidedly less satisfied with their income than the Dutch. It turns out however that after response scale adjustment based on vignettes, the distribution of satisfaction in the two countries is essentially identical. In addition, we find that the within-country cross-sectional effect of income on satisfaction - a key parameter in the recent debate in the economic literature - is significantly underestimated, especially in the U.S., when differences in response scales are not taken into account." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Knoll, Bodo, Hans Pitlik & Martin Rode (2013): Economic freedom, money and happiness. Why deregulation matters beyond its wealth enhancing effect. In: CESifo DICE report, Jg. 11, H. 2, S. 35-42.

Abstract

"For a long time economic happiness research has focused on the question: 'Does money make people happy?' In recent years, some researchers have broadened the scope of this question by asking if (economic) events and situations can have effects that go beyond pure pecuniary effects. Periods of unemployment are detrimental for subjective well-being to a far greater extent than the loss of labor income and the reduced consumption levels of the unemployed. Institutions matter for two reasons: (1) Free markets are an important determinant of growth, thereby contributing to life satisfaction via higher income levels. (2) In addition, ideology, risk aversion and freedom of choice as a value in itself may explain why positive or negative effects on life satisfaction remain even after controlling for the individual income position. These non-pecuniary effects seem to be unequally distributed within societies. Further research is needed to address endogeneity issues and to fully understand some of the paradoxical results that have emerged from previous empirical studies." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lee, Chew Ging, Pek Kim Ng & Cassey Lee (2013): Short-run and long-run causalities between happiness, income and unemployment in Japan. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 20, H. 18, S. 1636-1639. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2013.829195

Abstract

"This article examines the short-run and long-run causal interactions between happiness and two economic variables in Japan, namely, unemployment and income. Results suggest that whilst more rapid economic growth and lower levels of unemployment are important in raising people's well-being in the short run, it is the relative growth performance of the economy that matters in the long run." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Neumann, Michael & Jörg Schmidt (2013): Glücksfaktor Arbeit. Was bestimmt unsere Lebenszufriedenheit? (Roman-Herzog-Institut. Diskussion 21), München, 27 S.

Abstract

"Arbeit - genauer Erwerbsarbeit - ist ein zentraler Bestandteil unseres Lebens und nimmt somit auch Einfluss auf unsere Lebenszufriedenheit. Diese Erkenntnis ist zwar nicht neu. Die überwiegende Anzahl der Fachpublikationen zum Thema Lebenszufriedenheit fokussierte bislang aber auf andere Lebensbereiche und Personengruppen, wie etwa Studenten, Kinder und Menschen mit gesundheitlichen Problemen (Erdogan et al., 2012). Dies scheint überraschend, da wir doch einen großen Anteil unserer Lebenszeit im Beruf verbringen und sich dies nachhaltig auf unsere Zufriedenheit auswirken dürfte. Der Blick auf andere Lebensbereiche zeigt, dass diese ebenfalls eine wichtige Rolle spielen, darunter vor allem die eigene Gesundheit oder die Familie. Wie also muss mein Arbeitsplatz aussehen, um mich glücklicher und zufriedener zu machen? Kann ich mir das Glück gewissermaßen 'erarbeiten'? Die vorliegende Publikation trägt vorhandene Literatur zu diesen Fragen zusammen und ergänzt sie um eigene Auswertungen aus dem Sozio-oekonomischen Panel (SOEP). Aufgrund der Komplexität der Forschungsfrage ist der vorliegende Beitrag wie folgt gegliedert:
Zunächst wird in Kapitel 2 die Bedeutung des Arbeitsumfelds im Zusammenspiel mit anderen Lebensbereichen aufgezeigt. Zudem werden im internationalen Vergleich und nach der Art der Erwerbsform differenziert einige zusammengefasste Befunde erläutert. Im Anschluss daran beleuchtet Kapitel 3 beispielhaft einige für die allgemeine Lebenszufriedenheit wesentliche Aspekte der Arbeit, von denen unter Bezug auf die vorliegende Literatur erwartet werden kann, dass sie einen maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Lebenszufriedenheit haben (ohne den Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit zu erheben). Kapitel 4 zieht die resultierenden Schlussfolgerungen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Nowok, Beata, Maarten van Ham, Allan M. Findlay & Vernon Gayle (2013): Does migration make you happy? A longitudinal study of internal migration and subjective well-being. In: Environment and Planning. A, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Jg. 45, H. 4, S. 986-1002. DOI:10.1068/a45287

Abstract

"The majority of quantitative studies on the consequences of internal migration focus almost exclusively on the labour-market outcomes and the material well-being of migrants. We investigate whether individuals who migrate within the UK become happier after the move than they were before, and whether the effect is permanent or transient. Using life-satisfaction responses from twelve waves of the British Household Panel Survey and employing a fixed-effects model, we derive a temporal pattern of migrants' subjective well-being around the time of the migration event. Our findings make an original contribution by revealing that, on average, migration is preceded by a period when individuals experience a significant decline in happiness for a variety of reasons, including changes in personal living arrangements. Migration itself causes a boost in happiness, and brings people back to their initial levels. The research contributes, therefore, to advancing an understanding of migration in relation to set-point theory. Perhaps surprisingly, long-distance migrants are at least as happy as short-distance migrants despite the higher social and psychological costs involved. The findings of this paper add to the pressure to retheorize migration within a conceptual framework that accounts for social well-being from a life-course perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Oesch, Daniel & Oliver Lipps (2013): Does unemployment hurt less if there is more of it around? A panel analysis of life satisfaction in Germany and Switzerland. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 29, H. 5, S. 955-967. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcs071

Abstract

"This article examines the existence of a habituation effect to unemployment: Does the subjective well-being of unemployed people decline less if unemployment is more widespread? The underlying idea is that unemployment hysteresis may operate through a sociological channel: if many people in the community lose their job and remain unemployed over an extended period, the psychological cost of being unemployed diminishes, and the pressure to accept a new job declines. We analyse this question with individual-level data from the German socio-economic panel (1984 - 2010) and the Swiss household panel (2000 - 2010). Our fixed-effects estimates show no evidence for a mitigating effect of high surrounding unemployment on the subjective well-being of the unemployed. Becoming unemployed hurts as much when regional unemployment is high as when it is low. Likewise, the strongly harmful impact of being unemployed on well-being neither wears off over time, nor do repeated episodes of unemployment make it any better. It thus appears doubtful that an unemployment shock becomes persistent because the unemployed becomes used to, and hence reasonably content with, being without a job." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Olsson, Lars E., Tommy Gärling, Dick Ettema, Margareta Friman & Satoshi Fujii (2013): Happiness and satisfaction with work commute. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 111, H. 1, S. 255-263. DOI:10.1007/s11205-012-0003-2

Abstract

"Research suggests that for many people happiness is being able to make the routines of everyday life work, such that positive feelings dominate over negative feelings resulting from daily hassles. In line with this, a survey of work commuters in the three largest urban areas of Sweden show that satisfaction with the work commute contributes to overall happiness. It is also found that feelings during the commutes are predominantly positive or neutral. Possible explanatory factors include desirable physical exercise from walking and biking, as well as that short commutes provide a buffer between the work and private spheres. For longer work commutes, social and entertainment activities either increase positive affects or counteract stress and boredom. Satisfaction with being employed in a recession may also spill over to positive experiences of work commutes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pereira, Maria C. & Filipe Coelho (2013): Work hours and well being. An investigation of moderator effects. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 111, H. 1, S. 235-253. DOI:10.1007/s11205-012-0002-3

Abstract

"The relationship between work hours and subjective well being is marked by contradictory findings, thereby implying that it is far from being completely understood. A study of moderator effects can help explain variations in results across studies and, thus, overcome inconsistencies in past research. Accordingly, the current study aims to enlighten the relationship between work hours and well being by investigating how a number of variables moderate this relationship. To develop the research hypotheses concerning the moderator effects, this study relies mostly on social identity theory. Overall, the results suggest that work hours, per se, do not have a significant relationship with individual well being. Rather, their effects seem to depend on a number of issues, namely concerned with individuals' objective characteristics, as well as their social identities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pfaff, Tobias (2013): Income comparisons, income adaptation, and life satisfaction. How robust are estimates from survey data? (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 555), Berlin, 44 S.

Abstract

"Theory suggests that subjective well-being is affected by income comparisons and adaptation to income. Empirical tests of the effects often rely on self-constructed measures from survey data. This paper shows that results can be highly sensitive to simple parameter changes. Using large-scale panel data from Germany and the UK, I report cases where plausible variations in the underlying income type substantially affect tests of the relationship between life satisfaction, income rank, reference income, and income adaptation. Models simultaneously controlling for income and income rank as well as models with a number of income lags are prone to imperfect multicollinearity with consequences for the precision and robustness of estimates. When testing relative-income effects, researchers should be aware that reference income constructed as average of a rather arbitrarily defined reference group and reference income predicted from Mincer-type earnings equations are two approaches that can produce inconsistent results, and that are probably not as reliable and valid as previously assumed. The analysis underlines the importance of robustness checks and regression diagnostics, two routines that are often not carried out diligently in empirical research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Röhn, Oliver, Rauf Gönenc, Christian Beer & Romina Boarini (2013): Austria's well-being goes beyond GDP. (OECD Economics Department working papers 1079), Paris, 58 S. DOI:10.1787/5k422133hjnv-en

Abstract

"Austria enjoys strong material well-being and high quality of life. Steady convergence with top GDP per capita levels translated into decisive improvements in household disposable incomes while significant redistribution has ensured low income inequality and poverty. This has been combined with gains in leisure time, especially time spent in retirement, low unemployment, high environmental standards, rising life expectancy, a well-functioning social support network and high subjective well-being. This performance was achieved with a unique combination of supportive conditions for a dynamic business sector, priority for family based care, a wide supply of public services, and a well-functioning social partnership. Particularly remarkable for a small open economy has been the degree of stability, which may have contributed to Austria's high quality of life. However, a number of weaknesses also exist. Older, unskilled and in particular people with migrant background, have lower labour market attachments. Outcomes in education and health care are subject to inequalities. Family services are still mainly carried out by women, who have closed the gap in education attainment with men but face tensions between work and family responsibilities and a high wage gap. The gaps experienced by people with migrant background are in several dimensions larger than in the average OECD country. This Working Paper relates to the 2013 OECD Economic Survey of Austria (http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/austria-2013.htm)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sacks, Daniel W., Betsey Stevenson & Justin Wolfers (2013): The new stylized facts about income and subjective well-being. (CESifo working paper 4067), München, 14 S.

Abstract

"In recent decades economists have turned their attention to data that asks people how happy or satisfied they are with their lives. Much of the early research concluded that the role of income in determining well-being was limited, and that only income relative to others was related to well-being. In this paper, we review the evidence to assess the importance of absolute and relative income in determining well-being. Our research suggests that absolute income plays a major role in determining well-being and that national comparisons offer little evidence to support theories of relative income. We find that well-being rises with income, whether we compare people in a single country and year, whether we look across countries, or whether we look at economic growth for a given country. Through these comparisons we show that richer people report higher well-being than poorer people; that people in richer countries, on average, experience greater well-being than people in poorer countries; and that economic growth and growth in well-being are clearly related. Moreover, the data show no evidence for a satiation point above which income and well-being are no longer related." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Samuel, Robin, Manfred Max Bergman & Sandra Hupka-Brunner (2013): The interplay between educational achievement, occupational success, and well-being. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 111, H. 1, S. 75-96. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9984-5

Abstract

"Many studies have examined the effect of life events, education, and income on well-being. Conversely, research concerning well-being as a predictor of life course outcomes is sparse. Diener's suggestion 'to inquire about the effects of well-being on future behavior and success' has, with some exceptions, not yet come to fruition. This article contributes to this body of research. We conceptualize and analyze the interplay between educational achievement, occupational success, and well-being as a complex process. The relationship between these domains is examined drawing on a structure-agency framework derived from Bourdieu and Social Comparison Theory. Social comparison between adolescents and their parents is suggested to be the mechanism explaining the effects of successful and unsuccessful intergenerational transmission of educational achievement and occupational success on well-being. It is further argued that well-being may serve as an individual resource by fostering educational and occupational outcomes. Panel data from the Transition from Education to Employment (TREE) project, a Swiss PISA 2000 follow-up study, was used. The interplay between well-being and successful and unsuccessful intergenerational transfer of educational attainment was analyzed in an autoregressive cross-lagged mixture model framework. Social comparison was found to be related to well-being, while well-being proved to significantly increase the probability of successful intergenerational transfer of educational attainment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sarracino, Francesco (2013): Determinants of subjective well-being in high and low income countries. Do happiness equations differ across countries? In: The Journal of Socio-Economics, Jg. 42, H. February, S. 51-66. DOI:10.1016/j.socec.2012.11.006

Abstract

Die Bedeutung sozialer Beziehungen für das subjektive Wohlbefinden der Menschen in Industrie- und Entwicklungsländern ist Gegenstand dieser Untersuchung. Hierzu wurden Daten des World Value Survey für den Zeitraum 1980 bis 2001 mittels Regressionsanalysen und Oaxaca-Dekomposition ausgewertet. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass das soziale Kapital sowohl in armen als auch in reichen Ländern entscheidend für das subjektive Wohlbefinden ist. Hierzu zählen soziale Beziehungen zu Arbeitskollegen, in religiösen Gruppen, bei ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeiten und in der Freizeit. (IAB)

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Sieger, Philip (2013): Life satisfaction and labor market status. Frankfurt am Main, 75 S.

Abstract

"In this paper I analyze the relationship between unemployment and life satisfaction. Using a panel data set covering the years 2007 to 2011, I estimate the effect of different labor market statuses on self-reported life satisfaction. The survey design of the data set deliberately oversamples unemployed and low income households such that precise estimates for these groups are possible. The complex survey design is taken into consideration when computing descriptive statistics and calculating standard errors. I extensively control for potential confounders as age, marital status, health, education,, household income, number of children and social contact to mitigate the problem of omitted variables. I estimate the relationship by OLS, ordered logit and first differences controlling for individual heterogeneity. The results of the different estimation techniques coincide for the most relevant variables, especially unemployment, which is associated with a 0.7 point drop in life satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Stevenson, Betsey & Justin Wolfers (2013): Subjective well-being and income. Is there any evidence of satiation? (IZA discussion paper 7353), Bonn, 26 S.

Abstract

"Many scholars have argued that once 'basic needs' have been met, higher income is no longer associated with higher in subjective well-being. We assess the validity of this claim in comparisons of both rich and poor countries, and also of rich and poor people within a country. Analyzing multiple datasets, multiple definitions of 'basic needs' and multiple questions about well-being, we find no support for this claim. The relationship between wellbeing and income is roughly linear-log and does not diminish as incomes rise. If there is a satiation point, we are yet to reach it." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Stevenson, Betsey & Justin Wolfers (2013): Subjective well-being and income. Is there any evidence of satiation? (CESifo working paper 4222), München, 25 S.

Abstract

"Many scholars have argued that once 'basic needs' have been met, higher income is no longer associated with higher in subjective well-being. We assess the validity of this claim in comparisons of both rich and poor countries, and also of rich and poor people within a country. Analyzing multiple datasets, multiple definitions of 'basic needs' and multiple questions about well-being, we find no support for this claim. The relationship between wellbeing and income is roughly linear-log and does not diminish as incomes rise. If there is a satiation point, we are yet to reach it." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Weick, Stefan (2013): Soziales Wohlbefinden in Deutschland nur schwach ausgeprägt. Untersuchungen zum subjektiven Wohlbefinden mittels eines aggregierten Indexes. In: Informationsdienst Soziale Indikatoren H. 49, S. 12-15.

Abstract

"Das subjektive Wohlbefinden hat viele Aspekte, die sich, zumindest nicht vollständig, mit einer einzelnen Maßzahl erfassen lassen. Glück und Zufriedenheit - das Eingebundensein in die Gesellschaft sowie das Gefühl ein erfülltes Leben zu führen - gelten als Merkmale des subjektiven Wohlbefindens, die zwar von der Persönlichkeit, aber auch wesentlich von den sozialstrukturellen, kulturellen, politischen und wirtschaftlichen Voraussetzungen in einem Land und nicht zuletzt von individuellen Erwartungen abhängen. Das subjektive Wohlbefinden ist kein Abbild der objektiven Situation und wird von sozialen Vergleichen und Präferenzen beeinflusst, steht aber in Europa dennoch mit dem Lebensstandard in einem deutlichen Zusammenhang. Untersuchungen zum subjektiven Wohlbefinden im nationalen und internationalen Rahmen basieren überwiegend auf der Survey-Frage zur Zufriedenheit mit dem Leben allgemein, die auf eine übergreifende Bewertung des eigenen subjektiven Wohlbefindens abzielt. Alternativ, aber auch ergänzend wird die Nutzung von aggregierten Indizes vorgeschlagen (Diener, 2000). Messfehler sollen durch die Verwendung einer größeren Anzahl von Items reduziert und zudem die Untersuchung einzelner Komponenten des subjektiven Wohlbefindens ermöglicht werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Welsch, Heinz & Jan Kühling (2013): Income comparison, income formation, and subjective well-being. New evidence on envy versus signaling. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 552), Berlin, 24 S.

Abstract

"Drawing on the distinction between envy and signaling effects in income comparison, this paper uses 307,465 observations for subjective well-being and its covariates from Germany, 1990-2009, to study whether the nature of income comparison has changed in the process of economic development, and how such changes are related to changes in the nature of income formation. By conceptualizing a person's comparison income as the income predicted by an earnings equation, we find that, while in 1990-1999 envy has been the dominant concern in West Germany and signaling the dominant factor in East Germany, income comparison was non-existing in 2000-2009. We also find that the earnings equation reflects people's ability more accurately in the second than in the first period. Together, these findings suggest that comparing one's income with people of the same ability is important only when ability is insufficiently reflected in own income." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wunder, Christoph, Andrea Wiencierz, Johannes Schwarze & Helmut Küchenhoff (2013): Well-being over the life span. Semiparametric evidence from British and German longitudinal data. In: The Review of Economics and Statistics, Jg. 95, H. 1, S. 154-167. DOI:10.1162/REST_a_00222

Abstract

"This paper applies semiparametric regression models using penalized splines to investigate the profile of well-being over the life span. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), the analysis shows a common, and quite similar, age-specific pattern of life satisfaction for both Britain and Germany that can be characterized by three age stages. The evidence suggests that the U-shaped profile is a good approximation of decreasing and increasing well-being in the first and second stage. After people reached their late 60s, however, a decline in well-being is found in the third stage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Anderson, Robert, Hans Dubois, Tadas Leončikas & Eszter Sandor (2012): Third European quality of life survey. Quality of life in Europe: Impacts of the crisis. Dublin, 163 S. DOI:10.2806/42471

Abstract

"What determines life satisfaction and happiness? How do we value our social situation and immediate surroundings? How has this changed with the economic crisis? For the third wave of the European Quality of Life survey, 35,500 Europeans in all EU Member States were interviewed, in an effort to gain insights to these questions. This overview report presents findings and trends and shows that the impacts of the recession are indeed noticeable and measurable in some areas, while in others there are more long-term developments to be observed. While overall life satisfaction levels have not changed much, optimism about the future and trust in institutions have declined markedly in those countries most affected by the downturn. And groups that were already vulnerable - the long-term unemployed, older people in central and eastern Europe and single parents - report the highest levels of material deprivation and dissatisfaction with their life situation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bender, Keith A. (2012): An analysis of well-being in retirement. The role of pensions, health, and 'voluntariness' of retirement. In: The Journal of Socio-Economics, Jg. 41, H. 4, S. 424-433. DOI:10.1016/j.socec.2011.05.010

Abstract

"This paper examines a wide range of determinants of retiree well-being of retirees. Using data from the 2000 Health and Retirement Study, increases in economic factors such as income lead to higher wellbeing, although relative income has a larger effect than absolute income. The strongest predictors are the voluntariness of entering retirement, pension characteristics, and health. Retirees 'forced' to retire or have defined contribution pensions or bad health have significantly lower well-being. The results suggest a more nuanced approach in addressing retiree well-being than just a focus on the economic well-being of retirees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bonsang, Eric & Arthur van Soest (2012): Satisfaction with job and income among older individuals across European countries. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 105, H. 2, S. 227-254. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9879-5

Abstract

"Using data on individuals of age 50 and older from 11 European countries, we analyze two economic aspects of subjective well-being of older Europeans: satisfaction with household income, and job satisfaction. Both have been shown to contribute substantially to overall well-being (satisfaction with life or happiness). We use anchoring vignettes to correct for potential differences in response scales across countries. The results highlight a large variation in self-reported income satisfaction, which is partly explained by differences in response scales. When differences in response scales are eliminated, the cross-country differences are quite well in line with differences in an objective measure of purchasing power of household income. There are common features in the response scale differences in job satisfaction and income satisfaction. French respondents tend to be critical in both assessments, while Danish and Dutch respondents are always on the optimistic end of the spectrum. Moreover, correcting for response scale differences decreases the cross-country association between satisfaction with income and job satisfaction among workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chen, Wan-chi (2012): How education enhances happiness. Comparison of mediating factors in four East Asian countries. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 106, H. 1, S. 117-131. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9798-5

Abstract

"Educational philosophers contend that education enhances autonomy and thus happiness, but empirical studies rarely explore the positive influence of education on happiness. Based on the previous finding that being better connected to the outside world makes people happy, this study examines the possibility that how well an individual connects to the world accounts for the positive association between education and happiness. Analyzing survey data from four East Asian countries, we find a common pattern among Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Although both monetary and non-monetary factors play a role in explaining the relationship between education and higher reports of happiness, monetary factor is relatively unimportant whereas non-monetary factors, such as interpersonal network and degree of cosmopolitanism, account for a significant part of the association between education and happiness. China is exceptional due to its relative importance of personal income in accounting for happiness. In short, individuals who receive more education have more extensive social networks as well as greater involvement with the wider world; these life conditions are positively related with happiness. By enhancing one's ability and propensity to connect with the wider social world, education may improve an individual's subjective well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chmiel, Magda, Martin Brunner, Romain Martin & Daniela Schalke (2012): Revisiting the structure of subjective well-being in middle-aged adults. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 106, H. 1, S. 109-116. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9796-7

Abstract

"Subjective well-being is a broad, multifaceted construct comprising general satisfaction with life, satisfaction with life domains (health, family, people, free time, self, housing, work, and finances), positive affect, and negative affect. Drawing on representative data from middle-aged adults (N = 738), the authors used three different structural models to analyze the interrelationships among these facets of subjective well-being. In a top-down model, a single factor representing global subjective well-being explained the correlations found among the more specific facets of subjective well-being and exerted the strongest influence on general satisfaction with life, satisfaction with health, and satisfaction with finances. In a bottom-up model, satisfaction with the latter two domains had the strongest effect on global subjective well-being. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for research on subjective well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Clark, Andrew E. (2012): Happiness, habits and high rank. Comparisons in economic and social life. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 452), Berlin, 40 S.

Abstract

"The role of money in producing sustained subjective well-being seems to be seriously compromised by social comparisons and habituation. But does that necessarily mean that we would be better off doing something else instead? This paper suggests that the phenomena of comparison and habituation are actually found in a considerable variety of economic and social activities, rendering conclusions regarding well-being policy less straightforward." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cunado, Juncal & Fernando Perez de Gracia (2012): Does education affect happiness? Evidence for Spain. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 108, H. 1, S. 185-196. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9874-x

Abstract

"In this paper, we study the impact of education on happiness in Spain using individual-level data from the European Social Survey, by means of estimating ordinal logit models. We find both direct and indirect effects of education on happiness. First, we find an indirect effect of education on happiness through income and labour status. That is, we find that people with a higher education level have higher income levels and a higher probability of being employed, and thus, report higher levels of happiness. Second, and after controlling by income, labour status, and other socio-economic variables, we find that education has a positive (and direct) impact on happiness. We interpret this result as evidence of a 'self-confidence' or 'self-estimation' effect from acquiring knowledge. Finally, we find that the direct impact of education on happiness does not depend of the level of education (primary, secondary, or tertiary)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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D'Ambrosio, Conchita & Joachim R. Frick (2012): Individual well-being in a dynamic perspective. In: Economica, Jg. 79, H. 314, S. 284-302. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0335.2011.00896.x

Abstract

"We explore the determinants of individual wellbeing as measured by self-reported levels of satisfaction with income and life. Making use of the German Socio-Economic Panel, we provide empirical evidence for wellbeing depending on absolute and relative income levels in a dynamic framework where status and signal effects play a role. This finding holds after controlling for other factors in a multivariate setting. The main novelty is the consideration of dynamic aspects: the individual's own history and the relative income performance with respect to other society members play major roles in the assessment of individual wellbeing." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Decancq, Koen & María Ana Lugo (2012): Inequality of wellbeing. A multidimensional approach. In: Economica, Jg. 79, H. 316, S. 721-746.

Abstract

"An important aspect of multidimensional wellbeing distributions is the correlation between different dimensions. We propose two indices for measuring multidimensional inequality, derived from two underlying social evaluation functions. These functions aggregate both across dimensions and across individuals. The social evaluation functions differ only with respect to the sequencing of aggregation. Aggregating first across dimensions is more attractive since it allows the inequality index to depend on the correlation between dimensions. We illustrate both indices, and the impact of correlation sensitivity, using Russian household data between 1995 and 2005 for four dimensions of wellbeing: expenditure, health, schooling and housing quality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Delhey, Jan & Christian Kroll (2012): A "happiness test" for the new measures of national well-being. How much better than GDP are they? (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung. Discussion papers SP 1 2012-201), Berlin, 28 S.

Abstract

"Across the globe there is growing skepticism about the usefulness of GDP as a measure of national well-being. Consequently, several alternative quality-of-life (QOL) measures were developed which either aim at healing the GDP, complementing it, or replacing it. This chapter portrays some of these new measures and puts them to a 'happiness test': compared to the GDP, are the new QOL measures better able to capture what makes people happy and satisfied with their lives? Using data for 34 OECD societies, we can show that from a happiness perspective, there is - surprisingly - little wrong with the GDP, and most alternative QOL measures do not outperform GDP. Yet, one measure actually does a better job: the OECD's Better Life Index which is particularly effective when it comes to predicting subjective well-being in the richest OECD countries. In sum, the chapter demonstrates that a happiness perspective can add important insights along the way to facilitate the search for a new, widely accepted, internationally comparable measure of well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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El Harbi, Sana & Gilles Grolleau (2012): Does self-employment contribute to national happiness? In: The Journal of Socio-Economics, Jg. 41, H. 5, S. 670-676. DOI:10.1016/j.socec.2012.06.001

Abstract

"Recent studies showed that self-employment impacts individual happiness either positively or negatively. Rather than considering the happiness effects at the individual level, we assess whether self-employment effects spread and impact the domestic happiness beyond the involved individuals. We distinguish a direct effect of self-employment on life satisfaction and an indirect effect through the impact of self-employment on per capita income and the subsequent impact of income on life satisfaction. Using panel data analysis for 15 OECD countries over a period of 18 years, we investigate empirically whether countries with higher levels of self-employment are happier, by disentangling the two previously mentioned effects. We remedy the potential endogeneity problem when estimating the indirect effect by instrumenting the self-employment rate. The main finding is a significant and negative direct effect which is larger in magnitude than the indirect effect, resulting in an overall negative effect of self-employment on the domestic happiness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fleche, Sarah, Conal Smith & Piritta Sorsa (2012): Exploring determinants of subjective wellbeing in OECD countries. Evidence from the World Value Survey. (OECD statistics working paper 2012,01), Paris, 41 S. DOI:10.1787/5k9ffc6p1rvb-en

Abstract

"The paper explores issues with assessing wellbeing in OECD countries based on self-reported life satisfaction surveys in a pooled regression over time and countries, at the country level and the OECD average. The results, which are in line with previous studies of subjective wellbeing, show that, apart from income, the state of health, not being unemployed, and social relationships are particularly important for wellbeing with only some differences across countries. The results also show that cultural differences are not major drivers of differences in life satisfaction. Correlations between the rankings of measures of life satisfaction and other indicators of wellbeing such as the Human Development Index and Better Life Index are also relatively high. Measures of subjective wellbeing can play an important part in informing policy makers of progress with wellbeing in general, or what seems to matter for wellbeing - health, being employed and social contacts - beyond income." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gielen, Anne C. & Jan C. van Ours (2012): Unhappiness and job finding. (IZA discussion paper 6320), Bonn, 32 S.

Abstract

"It is puzzling that people feel quite unhappy when they become unemployed, while at the same time active labor market policies are needed to bring unemployed back to work more quickly. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we investigate whether there is indeed such a puzzle. First, we find that nearly half of the unemployed do not experience a drop in happiness, which might explain why at least some workers need to be activated. In addition to that, we find that even though unemployed who experience a drop in happiness search more actively for a job, it does not speed up their job finding. Apparently, there is no link between unhappiness and the speed of job finding. Hence, there is no contradiction between unemployed being unhappy and the need for activation policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gokdemir, Ozge & Devrim Dumludag (2012): Life satisfaction among Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands. The role of absolute and relative income. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 106, H. 3, S. 407-417. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9815-8

Abstract

"Social Indicators Research May 2012, Volume 106, Issue 3, pp 407-417 Life Satisfaction Among Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants in the Netherlands: The Role of Absolute and Relative Income Ozge Gokdemir, Devrim Dumludag ... show all 2 hide ' Download PDF (179 KB) ' View Article Abstract In this paper we investigate the role of several socio-economic and non-economic factors such as absolute and relative income, education and religion to explain the differences of happiness levels of Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants in the Netherlands by using ordered logit model. We focus on members of the Moroccan and Turkish communities, as these are the two largest non-EU immigrant communities in the Netherlands. Our findings reveal that Moroccans, although they have lower income levels and higher unemployment rates than Turkish immigrants, their happiness level is higher than the Turkish immigrants. In order to understand this dilemma a questionnaire survey was performed to 111 Turkish and 96 Moroccan immigrants in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht and Arnhem in 2010. The main purpose is to investigate how reference group's self-reported life satisfaction is related to the level of absolute income; the level of relative income and other socio-economic factors. The main findings are that for Turkish sample relative income is significantly and negatively correlated with life satisfaction whereas, both absolute income (positively) and relative income (negatively) are significantly correlated with life satisfaction for Moroccan case." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Guven, Cahit & Bent E. Sorensen (2012): Subjective well-being. Keeping up with the perception of the Joneses. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 109, H. 3, S. 439-469. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9910-x

Abstract

"Using data from the US General Social Survey 1972-2004, we study the role of perceptions and status in self-reported happiness. Reference group income negatively relates to own happiness and high perceptions about own relative income, quality of dwelling, and social class relate positively and very significantly to happiness. Perceptions about income and status matter more for females, and for low income, conservative, more social, and less trusting individuals. Dwelling perceptions matter more for males, and for middle income, married, conservative, more social, and less trusting individuals." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Heineck, Guido & Joachim Möller (2012): Geschlechtsspezifisches Arbeitsmarktverhalten, Verdienste und Wohlbefinden im Familienkontext. In: H. Bertram & M. Bujard (Hrsg.) (2012): Zeit, Geld, Infrastruktur - zur Zukunft der Familienpolitik (Soziale Welt. Sonderband, 19), S. 209-230, 2011-04-28.

Abstract

"Zunächst analysieren wir auf Grundlage eines großen Mikrodatensatzes, der Stichprobe der Integrierten Erwerbsbiographien (SIAB), geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede in Beschäftigungsformen, Arbeitszeiten und in Verdiensten im längerfristigen Vergleich. Danach wenden wir uns den ökonomischen Auswirkungen von familienbedingten Erwerbsunterbrechungen zu und führen hierzu eine Kohortenanalyse durch. Im Anschluss daran untersuchen wir auf Grundlage des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP), inwieweit individuelle Arbeitszeitformen, -präferenzen sowie Flexibilitätsmaße mit Job- und Lebenszufriedenheit von (Ehe-)Partnern mit Kindern zusammenhängen." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Kaudelka, Karin & Gerhard Kilger (Hrsg.) (2012): Das Glück bei der Arbeit. Über Flow-Zustände, Arbeitszufriedenheit und das Schaffen attraktiver Arbeitsplätze. (Sozialtheorie), Bielefeld: Transcript, 150 S.

Abstract

"'Glück bei der Arbeit' - gibt es das überhaupt? Warum ist Arbeitszufriedenheit nicht nur wichtig für Arbeitnehmer und Unternehmen, sondern auch für die Gesellschaft? Wie schafft man Arbeitsplätze, die zum Erfolgsfaktor werden? Dieses Buch liefert substanzielle Antworten mit Hilfe einer interdisziplinären Rundschau aus philosophischer und psychologischer Sicht, u.a. mit Erkenntnissen aus der Glücksforschung und Arbeitswissenschaft. Die Beiträge zeigen: Arbeit muss nicht nur Last, sondern kann auch Lust sein." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Keuschnigg, Marc & Tobias Wolbring (2012): Reich und zufrieden? Theorie und Empirie zur Beziehung von Wohlstand und Lebenszufriedenheit. In: Berliner Journal für Soziologie, Jg. 22, H. 2, S. 189-216. DOI:10.1007/s11609-012-0183-2

Abstract

"Die komplexe Beziehung von Einkommen und Lebenszufriedenheit kann auf verschiedene moderierende Einflüsse zurückgeführt werden. Dazu zählen die Befriedigung materieller Grundbedürfnisse, soziale Vergleiche und Gewöhnungsprozesse. Diese Teilerklärungen werden mit Daten des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (1992 - 2008) sowie einer eigens durchgeführten Erhebung in München geprüft. Alle drei Mechanismen erweisen sich für die Erklärung des nichtlinearen Zusammenhangs zwischen Einkommen und Lebenszufriedenheit als empirisch relevant. Oberhalb einer Schwelle von ca. 800 EURO monatlich verfügbarem Einkommen steigern Wohlstandsverbesserungen die Lebenszufriedenheit nur noch unwesentlich. Dieser Befund bietet sich daher für eine empirisch angeleitete Definition von Reichtum an. Überdies haben Einkünfte aus Vermögensbeständen keinen nennenswerten Einfluss auf das Wohlbefinden. Die Bedeutung von Einkommensvergleichen zeigt sich schwach in Bezug auf nachbarschaftliche Referenzwerte und deutlich stärker in Bezug auf spezifische Referenzgruppen wie Durchschnittsbürger oder Kollegen, nicht aber in Bezug auf Verwandte oder Freunde. Die Panelergebnisse stützen die Hypothesen zu Anspruchsniveau und Gewöhnung. Hierbei zeigt sich, dass Einkommensverluste die Lebenszufriedenheit stärker beeinflussen als -gewinne, ein Ergebnis, das insbesondere für Bessergestellte, nicht aber für Arme gilt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Knabe, Andreas, Ronnie Schöb & Joachim Weimann (2012): Partnership, gender roles and the well-being cost of unemployment. (CESifo working paper 3932), München, 29 S.

Abstract

"We use the differences between life satisfaction and emotional well-being of employed and unemployed persons to analyze how a person's employment status affects cognitive well-being. Our results show that unemployment has a negative impact on cognitive, but not on affective well-being, which we interpret as a loss in identity utility. Living in a partnership strengthens the loss in identity utility of men, but weakens that of women. Unemployment of a person's partner reduces the identity loss of unemployed men, but raises it for women. These results suggest that the unemployed's feeling of identity is affected by traditional gender roles, while this does not seem to be the case for the affective part of their subjective well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Knies, Gundi (2012): Income comparisons among neighbours and satisfaction in East and West Germany. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 106, H. 3, S. 471-489. DOI:10.1007/s11205-011-9818-5

Abstract

"A series of studies have suggested that changes in others' income may be perceived differently in post-transition and capitalist societies. This paper draws on the German Socio-economic Panel Study (SOEP) matched with micro-marketing indicators of population characteristics in very tightly drawn neighbourhoods to investigate whether reactions to changes in their neighbours' income divide the German nation. We find that the neighbourhood income effect for West Germany is negative (which is in line with the 'relative income' hypothesis) and slightly more marked in neighbourhoods that may be assumed to be places where social interactions between neighbours take place. In contrast, the coefficients on neighbourhood income in East Germany are positive (which is consistent with the 'signalling' hypothesis), but statistically not significant. This suggests not only that there is a divide between East and West Germany, but also that neighbours may not be a relevant comparison group in societies that have comparatively low levels of neighbouring." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))