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Health and Health Inequality during the Great Recession: Evidence from the PSID

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  • Chenggang Wang

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics)

  • Huixia Wang

    (Hunan University, School of Economics and Trade)

  • Timothy J. Halliday

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics; University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization)

Abstract

We estimate the impact of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 on health outcomes in the United States. We show that a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate resulted in a 7.8-8.8 percent increase in reports of poor health. In addition, mental health was adversely impacted. These effects were concentrated among those with strong labor force attachments. Whites, the less educated, and women were the most impacted demographic groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Chenggang Wang & Huixia Wang & Timothy J. Halliday, 2017. "Health and Health Inequality during the Great Recession: Evidence from the PSID," Working Papers 2017-7R, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
  • Handle: RePEc:hae:wpaper:2017-7r
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    Cited by:

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    3. Elena Puerto-Casasasnovas & Jorge Galiana-Richart & María Paola Mastrantonio-Ramos & Francisco López-Muñoz & Alfredo Rocafort-Nicolau, 2023. "Direct and Indirect Management Models in Public Health in the Framework of Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-11, January.
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    7. Yana Vierboom, 2017. "The contribution of differences in adiposity to educational disparities in mortality in the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(54), pages 1735-1760.
    8. Zhao, Yuejun, 2023. "Job displacement and the mental health of households: Burden sharing counteracts spillover," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    9. De, Prabal K. & Segura-Escano, Raul, 2021. "Drinking during downturn: New evidence from the housing market fluctuations in the United States during the Great Recession," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
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    11. Timothy M. Smeeding, 2018. "The PSID in Research and Policy," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 680(1), pages 29-47, November.
    12. Kronenberg, Christoph & Boehnke, Jan R., 2019. "How did the 2008-11 financial crisis affect work-related common mental distress? Evidence from 393 workplaces in Great Britain," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 193-200.
    13. Giri, Jeeten Krishna & Kumaresan, Talitha, 2021. "The business cycle, health behavior, and chronic disease: A study over Three decades," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    14. Valerie Mueller & Karen Grépin & Atonu Rabbani & Anne Ngunjiri & Amy Oyekunle & Clare Wenham, 2023. "Domestic Burdens Amid Covid-19 and Women’s Mental Health in Middle-Income Africa," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 192-218, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Great Recession; Health Behaviors; Health Outcomes; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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