Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2019 Apr;20(3):357-373.
doi: 10.1007/s10198-018-1002-2. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

Harsh times: do stressors lead to labor market losses?

Terhi Maczulskij  1 , Petri Böckerman  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Harsh times: do stressors lead to labor market losses?

Terhi Maczulskij et al. Eur J Health Econ. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

This paper examines the links between stressful life events and labor market outcomes. We use twin data for Finnish men and women combined with register-based individual information on earnings, employment and social income transfers. The twin data allow us to account for shared environmental and genetic confounders. We measure the exposure to stressful life events in 1990. The labor market outcomes are measured during a 20-year follow-up over the period 1990-2009. Three findings stand out. First, stressors lead to worse labor market outcomes. Second, both men and women are distressed by labor market shocks, but they respond differently to marital problems and health shocks within the family. For example, women respond to marital problems by working more, whereas men respond similarly after facing a random health shock within the family. Third, the relationship between health shocks and labor market outcomes diminishes as time passes, whereas the consequences of labor market shocks are more permanent.

Keywords: Earnings; Employment; Health behavior; Stressful life events; Stressors; Twin studies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Jun;156(6):837-41 - PubMed
    1. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000 Sep;79(3):452-68 - PubMed
    1. Am J Psychiatry. 2001 Apr;158(4):587-93 - PubMed
    1. Behav Genet. 2001 Mar;31(2):179-91 - PubMed
    1. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2002 Apr;36(2):173-82 - PubMed

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources