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Age Variations in Workers' Value of Statistical Life

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Author Info
Joseph E. Aldy
W. Kip Viscusi

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Abstract

This paper develops a life-cycle model in which workers choose both consumption levels and job fatality risks, implying that the effect of age on the value of life is ambiguous. The empirical analysis of this relationship uses novel, age-dependent fatal and nonfatal risk variables. Workers' value of statistical life exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship over workers' life cycle based on hedonic wage model estimates, age-specific hedonic wage estimates, and a minimum distance estimator. The value of statistical life for a 60-year old ranges from $2.5 million to $3.0 million -- less than half the value for 30 to 40-year olds.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 10199.

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Date of creation: Jan 2004
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10199

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Dreyfus, Mark K & Viscusi, W Kip, 1995. "Rates of Time Preference and Consumer Valuations of Automobile Safety and Fuel Efficiency," Journal of Law & Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 38(1), pages 79-105, April.
  2. Johansson, Per-Olov, 2002. " On the Definition and Age-Dependency of the Value of a Statistical Life," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 251-63, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Ronald Meng, 1989. "Compensating Differences in the Canadian Labour Market," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 22(2), pages 413-24, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Arthur, W B, 1981. "The Economics of Risks to Life," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(1), pages 54-64, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Rosen, Sherwin, 1988. " The Value of Changes in Life Expectancy," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 1(3), pages 285-304, September.
    Other versions:
  6. Corso, Phaedra S & Hammitt, James K & Graham, John D, 2001. " Valuing Mortality-Risk Reduction: Using Visual Aids to Improve the Validity of Contingent Valuation," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 165-84, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Moore, Michael J & Viscusi, W Kip, 1990. " Models for Estimating Discount Rates for Long-term Health Risks Using Labor Market Data," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 381-401, December.
  8. Jin-Tan Liu & James K. Hammitt, 2003. "Effects of Disease Type and Latency on the Value of Mortality Risk," NBER Working Papers 10012, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Johannesson, Magnus & Johansson, Per-Olov & Lofgren, Karl-Gustaf, 1997. "On the Value of Changes in Life Expectancy: Blips versus Parametric Changes," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 221-39, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. R. A. Meng & Douglas A. Smith, 1990. "The Valuation of Risk of Death in Public Sector Decision-Making," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 16(2), pages 137-144, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Persson, Ulf, et al, 2001. " The Value of a Statistical Life in Transport: Findings from a New Contingent Valuation Study in Sweden," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 121-34, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Leeth, John D & Ruser, John, 2003. " Compensating Wage Differentials for Fatal and Nonfatal Injury Risk by Gender and Race," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 257-77, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Shanmugam, K R, 2001. " Self Selection Bias in the Estimates of Compensating Differentials for Job Risks in India," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 263-75, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. W. Kip Viscusi & Joseph E. Aldy, 2003. "The Value of a Statistical Life: A Critical Review of Market Estimates throughout the World," NBER Working Papers 9487, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Cropper, Maureen L & Sussman, Frances G, 1988. "Families and the Economics of Risks to Life," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(1), pages 255-60, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Smith, V Kerry & Desvousges, William H, 1987. "An Empirical Analysis of the Economic Value of Risk Changes," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(1), pages 89-114, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Hersch, Joni, 1998. "Compensating Differentials for Gender-Specific Job Injury Risks," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 598-627, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. W. Kip Viscusi, 2004. "The Value of Life: Estimates with Risks by Occupation and Industry," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(1), pages 29-48, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Chamberlain, Gary, 1984. "Panel data," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Z. Griliches† & M. D. Intriligator (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 22, pages 1247-1318 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Krupnick, Alan, et al, 2002. " Age, Health and the Willingness to Pay for Mortality Risk Reductions: A Contingent Valuation Survey of Ontario Residents," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 161-86, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Arnould, Richard J & Nichols, Len M, 1983. "Wage-Risk Premiums and Workers' Compensation: A Refinement of Estimates of Compensating Wage Differential," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(2), pages 332-40, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  22. Jones-Lee, M W & Hammerton, M & Philips, P R, 1985. "The Value of Safety: Results of a National Sample Survey," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 95(377), pages 49-72, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Antoine Bommier & Bertrand Villeneuve, 2004. "Risk Aversion and the Value of Risk to Life," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
  2. Anup Malani & Charles Mullin, . "The effect of joint and several liability on the bankruptcy rate of defendants: evidence from asbestos litigation," American Law & Economics Association Annual Meetings 1070, American Law & Economics Association. [Downloadable!]
  3. Andersson, Henrik, 2006. "Willingness to Pay for Road Safety and Estimates of the Risk of Death: Evidence from a Swedish Contingent Valuation Study," Working Papers 2006:5, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).
  4. Thomas Kniesner & W. Viscusi & James Ziliak, 2006. "Life-Cycle Consumption and the Age-Adjusted Value of Life," Contributions to Economic Analysis & Policy, Berkeley Electronic Press, vol. 5(1), pages 1524-1524. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Aldy, Joseph E. & Viscusi, W. Kip, 2006. "Adjusting the Value of a Statistical Life for Age and Cohort Effects," Discussion Papers dp-06-19, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
  6. Viscusi, W. Kip & Aldy, Joseph, 2006. "Labor Market Estimates of the Senior Discount for the Value of Statistical Life," Discussion Papers dp-06-12, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Robert E. Hall & Charles I. Jones, 2005. "The value of life and the rise in health spending," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Anup Malani, . "The Effect of Joint and Several Liability on the Bankruptcy Rate of Defendants: Evidence from Asbestos Ligation," University of Virginia John M. Olin Program for Law & Economics Working Paper Series uvalwps-1010, University of Virginia School of Law. [Downloadable!]
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