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Economic Upturns are Good for Your Heart but Watch out for Accidents

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  • Svensson, Mikael

    (Department of Business, Economics, Statistics and Informatics)

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between the regional unemployment rate and total and cause-specific mortality in Sweden during 1976-2005. Overall mortality is unrelated to changes in the unemployment rate, while the biggest cause of death (heart disease) decreases during economic upturns. At the same time other accidents, including job-related accidents, increase during economic upturns. Swedish evidence provides no support for the US papers which have found that short-term economic upturns are bad for your health in general.

Suggested Citation

  • Svensson, Mikael, 2006. "Economic Upturns are Good for Your Heart but Watch out for Accidents," Working Papers 2006:9, Örebro University, School of Business, revised 26 Jun 2007.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:oruesi:2006_009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Determinants of Health; Mortality; Unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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