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The Psychosocial Value of Employment : Evidence from a Refugee Camp

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  • Hussam,Reshmaan Nahar
  • Kelley,Erin Munro
  • Lane,Gregory
  • Zahra,Fatima

Abstract

Employment may be important to well-being for reasons beyond its role as an income source.This paper presents a causal estimate of the psychosocial value of employment in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Thestudy involves 745 individuals in a field experiment with three arms: a control arm, a weekly cash arm, and anemployment arm of equal value. The findings show that employment raises psychosocial well-being substantially morethan cash alone, and 66 percent of the employed are willing to forego cash payments to continue working temporarily forfree. Despite material poverty, the individuals in the sample both experience and recognize the nonmonetary,psychosocial value of employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Hussam,Reshmaan Nahar & Kelley,Erin Munro & Lane,Gregory & Zahra,Fatima, 2022. "The Psychosocial Value of Employment : Evidence from a Refugee Camp," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10138, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10138
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Anderson, Michael L., 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1481-1495.
    4. McKenzie, David, 2012. "Beyond baseline and follow-up: The case for more T in experiments," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 210-221.
    5. Rema Hanna & Benjamin A. Olken, 2018. "Universal Basic Incomes versus Targeted Transfers: Anti-Poverty Programs in Developing Countries," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 32(4), pages 201-226, Fall.
    6. Bayer, Ya‘akov M. & Shtudiner, Zeev & Suhorukov, Oxsana & Grisaru, Nimrod, 2019. "Time and risk preferences, and consumption decisions of patients with clinical depression," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 138-145.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Ahammer & Analisa Packham, 2022. "Disability Insurance Screening and Worker Outcomes," Upjohn Working Papers 22-375, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    2. Pracht, Wyatt & Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob, 2023. "The Impacts of an Employment Offer on the Aspirations of Rural Youth: Experimental Evidence from Kenya," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335612, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Swati Dhingra & Fjolla Kondirolli, 2023. "Jobless and Stuck: Youth Unemployment and COVID-19 in India," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 71(3), pages 580-610, September.
    4. Maximilian Kasy & Lukas Lehner, 2023. "Employing the Unemployed of Marienthal: Evaluation of a Guaranteed Job Program," CESifo Working Paper Series 10394, CESifo.
    5. Wein, Tom & Lanthorn, Heather & Fischer, Torben, 2023. "First steps toward building respectful development: Three experiments on dignity in aid in Kenya and the United States," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    6. Arlen Guarin & Juliana Londoño-Vélez & Christian Posso, 2023. "Reparations as Development? Evidence from Victims of the Colombian Armed Conflict," Borradores de Economia 1236, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Elice, Paola & Martínez Flores, Fernanda & Reichert, Arndt R., 2023. "Religious terrorism, forced migration, and women's empowerment: Evidence from the Boko Haram insurgency," Ruhr Economic Papers 1044, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    8. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Ibanez, Ana Maria & Rozo, Sandra V. & Traettino, Salvador, 2023. "More Benefits, Fewer Children: How Regularization Affects Immigrant Fertility," IZA Discussion Papers 16170, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Amorim, Guilherme & Britto, Diogo & Fonseca, Alexandre & Sampaio, Breno, 2024. "Job Loss, Unemployment Insurance, and Health: Evidence from Brazil," IZA Discussion Papers 16790, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Kasy, Maximilian & Lehner, Lukas, 2023. "Employing the Unemployed of Marienthal: Evaluation of a Guaranteed Job Program," IZA Discussion Papers 16088, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Lehner, Lukas & Kasy, Maximilian, 2022. "Employing the unemployed of Marienthal: Evaluation of a guaranteed job program," INET Oxford Working Papers 2022-29, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.

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