In Sickness and in Health: Job Displacement and Health Spillovers in Couples
Using administrative labor market data matched to mortality and patient records, we document that negative labor market shocks produce sizeable health spillovers in couples. For every 10,000 displaced men, there are 110 additional deaths. Of those, 60% accrue to the displaced worker but 40 % are due to excess spousal mortality. We further show for the first time a stunning gender asymmetry: while male job displacement generates persistent health effects, no such dire consequences are observed after a woman’s job loss. We explore several explanations for these patterns: risk sharing through spousal labor supply; earnings losses and public insurance; widowhood; and gender roles in the family.
Date:
3 May 2022, 16:00 (Tuesday, 2nd week, Trinity 2022)
Venue:
Manor Road Building, Manor Road OX1 3UQ
Venue Details:
Seminar Room A or Online https://zoom.us/j/96750891094
Speaker:
Kristiina Huttunen (Aalto)
Organising department:
Department of Economics
Part of:
Applied Microeconomics Seminar
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Emma Heritage
