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The consequences of own and spousal disability on labor market outcomes and subjective well-being: evidence from Germany

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  • Nils Braakmann

Abstract

In this paper, I contrast the effects of individual and spousal disability on subjective well-being and labor supply using data on couples from the German Socio-Economic Panel for the years 1984–2006. I find almost no effects in terms of labor market outcomes for both men and women, which stands in stark contrast to the effects of individual disability. The life-satisfaction of women, but not of men, is reduced considerably by their partners’ disability. The effects are about 50–73 % as large as those of individual disability. I also find no evidence that individuals adapt to their partners’ disability, although there is adaptation to individual disability. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

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  • Nils Braakmann, 2014. "The consequences of own and spousal disability on labor market outcomes and subjective well-being: evidence from Germany," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 717-736, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:12:y:2014:i:4:p:717-736
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-012-9164-7
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    Cited by:

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    2. Aitor Calo-Blanco, 2022. "Fairness and unequal productive skills among other-regarding individuals," Working Papers 22.06, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    3. Anand, Priyanka & Dague, Laura & Wagner, Kathryn L., 2022. "The role of paid family leave in labor supply responses to a spouse's disability or health shock," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    4. Chiara Mussida & Dario Sciulli, 2022. "Disability and Material Deprivation: A Profile of Disadvantage in Italy," Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, Vita e Pensiero, Pubblicazioni dell'Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, vol. 130(2), pages 169-190.
    5. Aitor Calo-Blanco, 2020. "Health and fairness with other-regarding preferences," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 24(3), pages 123-141, December.
    6. Zhao, Yuejun, 2023. "Job displacement and the mental health of households: Burden sharing counteracts spillover," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Chiara Mussida & Dario Sciulli, 2019. "Does the Presence of a Disabled Person in the Household Affect the Employment Probabilities of Cohabiting Women? Evidence from Italy, France and the UK," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 338-351, September.
    8. De Gruyter, Elaine & Petrie, Dennis & Black, Nicole, 2023. "Household donations of time and money in response to a health shock," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 333(C).
    9. Nicholas A. Jolly & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2023. "Health shocks and spousal labor supply: an international perspective," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(2), pages 973-1004, April.
    10. Aitor Calo-Blanco, 2017. "Health and fairness with other-regarding preferences," Working Papers 17.04, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    11. Chiara Mussida & Raffaella Patimo, 2021. "Women’s Family Care Responsibilities, Employment and Health: A Tale of Two Countries," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 489-507, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Disability; Labor supply; Subjective well-being; Adaptation; Other-regarding preferences; D64; I10; J14;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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