On the relationship of unemployment and well-being

Abstract

"Unemployment is a major issue for economics and economic policy. It persists in modern market economies; its reduction is a frequently targeted policy goal. Information about who suffers from unemployment, to what extent people suffer and why they suffer is crucial for understanding the consequences of unemployment and for developing optimal policies fighting unemployment. The economics of happiness is a way to research these aspects. The present doctoral thesis describes four studies that answer open questions in the context of unemployment and well-being. In all of the investigations, use is made of data of the German Socio-Economic Panel study. Research so far shows that hardly any other life event reduces well-being as drastically as unemployment. Expecting unemployment in the near future already reduces employees' welfare. It turns also out that men suffer more than women and that the loss of income cannot totally explain the well-being effect of unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Hetschko, C. (2014): On the relationship of unemployment and well-being. Berlin, 131 p.