Working time preferences, hours mismatch and well-being of couples: Are there spillovers?

Arbeitspapier

We analyze how well-being is related to working time preferences and hours mismatch. Self-reported measures of life satisfaction are used as an empirical approximation of true wellbeing. Our results indicate that well-being is generally lower among workers with working time mismatch. Particularly underemployment is detrimental for well-being. We further provide first evidence on spillovers from the partner's working time mismatch. However, the spillover becomes insignificant once we control for the partner's well-being. This suggests that well-being is contagious, and the spillover is due to interdependent utilities. Females experience the highest well-being when their partner is working full-time hours. Male wellbeing is unaffected over a wide interval of the partner's working hours.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 6786

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; General Welfare; Well-Being ; Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply
• Subject: subjective well-being ; life satisfaction ; working time preferences ; working time mismatch ; spillovers ; utility interdependence

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Wunder, Christoph ; Heineck, Guido
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/62379
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET