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The labour market trade-offs of pet ownership

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  • Robbie Maris
  • Michael P. Cameron

Abstract

Pets are an important part of many peoples’ lives, and provide mental, physical and emotional benefits. However, the costs of pet ownership have received little attention. We investigate the association between pet ownership and wage income using data from the 2018 General Social Survey. We hypothesise that pet ownership may negatively influence income by lowering labour mobility and positively influence income by garnering valuable psychosocial attributes. We analyse interactions between pet ownership and education, pet ownership and housing tenure, and pet ownership and race to further investigate the potential labour mobility channel. Overall, we find that pet ownership decreases wage income and that these negative effects are larger for groups where mobility effects are likely higher.

Suggested Citation

  • Robbie Maris & Michael P. Cameron, 2023. "The labour market trade-offs of pet ownership," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 75-84.
    • Handle: RePEc:ove:journl:aid:18289
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    File URL: https://reunido.uniovi.es/index.php/EBL/article/view/18289
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Amior, Michael, 2015. "Why are higher skilled workers more mobile geographically?: the role of the job surplus," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 61279, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Moretti, Enrico, 2011. "Local Labor Markets," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 14, pages 1237-1313, Elsevier.
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