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The Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Work–Life Balance Among Labourers in Pakistan

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  • Khadija Shams

    (Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University)

  • Alexander Kadow

    (University of Glasgow
    Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
    Bundesbank)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the importance of work–life balance in human life and how job characteristics affect overall well-being. Our data have been collected from the labour market in five major industrial estates in Pakistan, such as M3-industrial estate, Sundar industrial estate, Sindh industrial trading estate, Gawadar industrial estate, and Hayatabad industrial estate, using a stratified sampling technique. The data have been collected via questionnaire, and included demographic data (sex, age, education, number of children, marital status, and regional background), job characteristics (working hours per week), health, education, and monthly nominal income (in absolute terms) of the sample labourers. A regression model has been developed to check the association of well-being with socio-economic status as well as job characteristics of the labourer. We observed that a fair work-family life balance plays a positive and significant role in overall well-being, apart from socio-economic characteristics like health, education and income of a labourer. Policy makers should hence put more emphasis on favorable working hours to ensure greater happiness and better quality of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Khadija Shams & Alexander Kadow, 2019. "The Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Work–Life Balance Among Labourers in Pakistan," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 681-690, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jfamec:v:40:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10834-019-09631-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10834-019-09631-5
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    Cited by:

    1. David G. Blanchflower, 2021. "Is happiness U-shaped everywhere? Age and subjective well-being in 145 countries," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 575-624, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Happiness; Labour market; Pakistan; Subjective well-being; Work–life balance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights
    • J88 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Public Policy

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