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Suicide and unemployment in Japan: Evidence from municipal level suicide rates and age-specific suicide rates

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  • Kuroki, Masanori

Abstract

Most previous studies on the relationship between unemployment and suicide use either individual level data or large unit aggregate level data. The former typically fail to distinguish the observed association from the causal link, and the latter often produce inconsistent findings on the unemployment-suicide relationship, making it difficult to draw policy implications. The present study contributes to this line of research by using two semi-aggregate level data in Japan. The results show that unemployment is significantly associated with male suicide rates, especially those of prime age working men, while the results are not straightforward for female suicide rates.

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  • Kuroki, Masanori, 2010. "Suicide and unemployment in Japan: Evidence from municipal level suicide rates and age-specific suicide rates," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 683-691, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:39:y:2010:i:6:p:683-691
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    5. Schaede Ulrike, 2013. "Sunshine and Suicides in Japan: revisiting the relevance of economic determinants of suicide," Contemporary Japan, De Gruyter, vol. 25(2), pages 105-126, August.
    6. Bussu, Anna & Detotto, Claudio & Sterzi, Valerio, 2013. "Social conformity and suicide," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 67-78.
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    10. Rottmann, Horst, 2014. "Do unemployment benefits and employment protection influence suicide mortality? An international panel data analysis," Weidener Diskussionspapiere 42, University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden (OTH).
    11. Eiji Yamamura, 2015. "Comparison of Social Capital's Effect on Consideration of Suicide between Urban and Rural Areas," ISER Discussion Paper 0933, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    12. Ferdi Botha, 2012. "The Economics Of Suicide In South Africa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 80(4), pages 526-552, December.
    13. Andrés, Antonio Rodríguez & Chakraborty, Bidisha & Dasgupta, Piyali & Mitra, Siddhartha, 2014. "Realizing the significance of socio-economic triggers for mental health outcomes in India," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 50-57.
    14. Antonakakis, Nikolaos & Collins, Alan, 2014. "The impact of fiscal austerity on suicide: On the empirics of a modern Greek tragedy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 39-50.
    15. Christian Breuer & Horst Rottmann, 2014. "Do Labor Market Institutions Influence Suicide Mortality? An International Panel Data Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 4875, CESifo.
    16. Saki Sugano & Yusuke Matsuki, 2014. "Poisson analysis of suicide in Japan using municipal data," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(11), pages 723-726, July.
    17. Andrés, Antonio R. & Halicioglu, Ferda & Yamamura, Eiji, 2011. "Socio-economic determinants of suicide in Japan," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 723-731.
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