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The Impact of Unemployment on Well-Being: Evidence from the Regional Level Suicide Data in Finland

Author

Listed:
  • Sanna Huikari

    (University of Oulu)

  • Marko Korhonen

    (University of Oulu)

Abstract

We explore the effects of unemployment on the well-being of the regional population with disaggregated suicide data across gender and age in Finland during 1991–2011. On the basis of the economic theory of rational suicides we show that rising unemployment expectations have a negative effect on well-being by increasing regional suicide mortality. We find that a possible future job loss has a significant effect on the prime working-age male (35–64 years old) suicides. We also provide strong evidence of the social norms on unemployment in Finland. We find, especially, that working-age males suffer more heavily from unemployment if they live in the area where the regional unemployment is low relative to the national average.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanna Huikari & Marko Korhonen, 2016. "The Impact of Unemployment on Well-Being: Evidence from the Regional Level Suicide Data in Finland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 1103-1119, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:128:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-015-1071-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-1071-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Phiri & Doreen Mukuku, 2020. "Does unemployment aggravate suicide rates in South Africa? Some empirical evidence," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 78(4), pages 532-560, October.
    2. Saqib Amin & Marko Korhonen & Sanna Huikari, 2023. "Unemployment and Mental Health: An Instrumental Variable Analysis Using Municipal-level Data for Finland for 2002–2019," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 627-643, April.
    3. Michihito Ando & Masato Furuichi, 2022. "The association of COVID-19 employment shocks with suicide and safety net use: An early-stage investigation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-26, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Well-being; Suicide; Unemployment; Finland; Social norm; Asymmetries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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