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Healthcare Workers and Life Satisfaction during the Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Costi, Chiara

    (University of Luxembourg)

  • Clark, Andrew E.

    (Paris School of Economics)

  • Lepinteur, Anthony

    (University of Luxembourg)

  • D'Ambrosio, Conchita

    (University of Luxembourg)

Abstract

We evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the life satisfaction of healthcare workers, as compared to the wider workforce, in five European countries. In ten waves of quarterly panel data, the life satisfaction of healthcare workers is always higher than that of other essential workers and non-essential workers. Life satisfaction follows a double humped pattern over time for all workers, which is largely explained by the COVID-19 death rate and policy stringency. The spread of the pandemic in terms of the death rate has twice as large an effect on healthcare workers' life satisfaction; on the contrary, the latter are the only workers whose satisfaction was not affected by the stringency of lockdown policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Costi, Chiara & Clark, Andrew E. & Lepinteur, Anthony & D'Ambrosio, Conchita, 2023. "Healthcare Workers and Life Satisfaction during the Pandemic," IZA Discussion Papers 16680, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16680
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrew E. Clark & Anthony Lepinteur, 2022. "Pandemic Policy and Life Satisfaction in Europe," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(2), pages 393-408, June.
    2. Moscelli, Giuseppe & Sayli, Melisa & Mello, Marco, 2022. "Staff Engagement, Job Complementarity and Labour Supply: Evidence from the English NHS Hospital Workforce," IZA Discussion Papers 15126, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Moscelli, G.; & Sayli, M.; & Mello, M.;, 2022. "Staff engagement, coworkers’ complementarity and employee retention: Evidence from English NHS hospitals," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 22/25, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
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    5. Andrew E. Clark, 2018. "Four Decades of the Economics of Happiness: Where Next?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 64(2), pages 245-269, June.
    6. Chen, Le-Yu & Oparina, Ekaterina & Powdthavee, Nattavudh & Srisuma, Sorawoot, 2022. "Robust Ranking of Happiness Outcomes: A Median Regression Perspective," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 672-686.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    healthcare workers; life satisfaction; COVID-19; policy stringency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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