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Age Variations in Workers' Value of Statistical Life

Author

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  • Joseph E. Aldy
  • W. Kip Viscusi

Abstract

This paper develops a life-cycle model in which workers choose both consumption levels and job fatality risks, implying that the effect of age on the value of life is ambiguous. The empirical analysis of this relationship uses novel, age-dependent fatal and nonfatal risk variables. Workers' value of statistical life exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship over workers' life cycle based on hedonic wage model estimates, age-specific hedonic wage estimates, and a minimum distance estimator. The value of statistical life for a 60-year old ranges from $2.5 million to $3.0 million -- less than half the value for 30 to 40-year olds.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph E. Aldy & W. Kip Viscusi, 2004. "Age Variations in Workers' Value of Statistical Life," NBER Working Papers 10199, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:10199
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Takahiro Tsuge & Atsuo Kishimoto & Kenji Takeuchi, 2005. "A Choice Experiment Approach to the Valuation of Mortality," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 73-95, July.
    2. Kenshi Itaoka & Alan Krupnick & Makoto Akai & Anna Alberini & Maureen Cropper & Nathalie Simon, 2007. "Age, health, and the willingness to pay for mortality risk reductions: a contingent valuation survey of Shizuoka, Japan, residents," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 8(3), pages 211-237, September.
    3. Ryan Edwards, 2013. "The cost of uncertain life span," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 26(4), pages 1485-1522, October.
    4. Robert E. Hall & Charles I. Jones, 2007. "The Value of Life and the Rise in Health Spending," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(1), pages 39-72.
    5. Anna Alberini & Maureen Cropper & Alan Krupnick & Nathalie Simon, 2006. "Willingness to pay for mortality risk reductions: Does latency matter?," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 231-245, May.
    6. Raquel Fonseca & Pierre-Carl Michaud & Titus Galama & Arie Kapteyn, 2021. "Accounting for the Rise of Health Spending and Longevity," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 536-579.
    7. Majumder, Agamoni & Madheswaran, S., 2016. "Value of statistical life: A meta analysis with mixed effects regression model," Working Papers 362, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
    8. Antoine Bommier & Bertrand Villeneuve, 2012. "Risk Aversion and the Value of Risk to Life," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 79(1), pages 77-104, March.
    9. Delprat, G. & Leroux, M.-L. & Michaud, P.-C., 2016. "Evidence on individual preferences for longevity risk," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(2), pages 160-179, April.
    10. Mary F. Evans & V. Kerry Smith, 2022. "Complementary and the measurement of Individual Risk Tradeoffs: Accounting for Quantity and Quality of Life Effects," Chapters, in: The Economics of Environmental Risk, chapter 5, pages 77-96, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Andersson, Henrik, 2006. "Willingness to Pay for Road Safety and Estimates of the Risk of Death: Evidence from a Swedish Contingent Valuation Study," Working Papers 2006:5, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).
    12. Isaac Ehrlich & Yong Yin, 2005. "Explaining Diversities in Age-Specific Life Expectancies and Values of Life Saving: A Numerical Analysis," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 129-162, September.
    13. Herrera-Araujo, Daniel & Rochaix, Lise, 2020. "Does the Value per Statistical Life vary with age or baseline health? Evidence from a compensating wage study in France," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    14. Anup Malani, "undated". "The Effect of Joint and Several Liability on the Bankruptcy Rate of Defendants: Evidence from Asbestos Ligation," University of Virginia John M. Olin Program for Law & Economics Working Paper Series uvalwps-1010, University of Virginia School of Law.
    15. Kenshi Itaoka & Alan Krupnick & Makoto Akai & Anna Alberini & Maureen Cropper & Nathalie Simon, 2007. "Age, health, and the willingness to pay for mortality risk reductions: a contingent valuation survey of Shizuoka, Japan, residents," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 8(3), pages 211-237, September.
    16. Kip Viscusi, W. & Aldy, Joseph E., 2007. "Labor market estimates of the senior discount for the value of statistical life," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 377-392, May.
    17. Joseph E. Aldy & W. Kip Viscusi, 2008. "Adjusting the Value of a Statistical Life for Age and Cohort Effects," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(3), pages 573-581, August.
    18. Strand, Jon, 2006. "Valuation of environmental improvements in continuous time with mortality and morbidity effects," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 229-241, August.
    19. Antoine Bommier, 2005. "Life-Cycle Theory for Human Beings," Working Papers hal-00441890, HAL.
    20. Abraham, Rosa, 2016. "Informal employment in India: An analysis of forms and determinants," Working Papers 363, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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