New evidence on subjective wellbeing and the definition of unemployment in South Africa

dc.creatorLloyd, Neil
dc.creatorLeibbrandt, Murray
dc.date2013-08-01T13:18:27Z
dc.date2013-08-01T13:18:27Z
dc.date2013-05
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-28T10:06:21Z
dc.date.available2015-05-28T10:06:21Z
dc.date.issued2015-05-28
dc.descriptionAccess to new nationally-representative, individual-level panel data from South Africa has allowed for the revalidation of Kingdon and Knight’s (2006) discussion on the definition of unemployment. This paper investigates subjective wellbeing as a measure of comparison between labour market statuses. It finds that on the grounds of subjective wellbeing the non-searching unemployed (or 'discouraged') are significantly worse-off than the not-economically-active. Moreover, evidence suggests that with regard to the relationship between life satisfaction and labour market status, the 'discouraged' have 'hit rock bottom'. This paper therefore advocates for the inclusion of the non-searching unemployed in the labour force and the use of a broad definition of unemployment, on the grounds that rational individuals would not self select into a lower state of wellbeing.
dc.descriptionNeil Lloyd acknowledges the fi nancial support of the National Research Foundation and the National Income Dynamics Study. Murray Leibbrandt acknowledges the Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation for funding his work as the Research Chair in Poverty and Inequality
dc.identifier978 1 920517 35 9
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/11090/610
dc.identifier.ris TY - Working Paper DA - 2015-05-28 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Unemployment KW - NIDS KW - Longitudinal data KW - Subjective wellbeing KW - Labour market KW - Discouraged KW - Life satisfaction KW - Non-searching unemployed LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2015 T1 - New evidence on subjective wellbeing and the definition of unemployment in South Africa TI - New evidence on subjective wellbeing and the definition of unemployment in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11090/610 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11090/610
dc.languageen
dc.publisher.departmentSALDRUen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.relationWorking Paper;94
dc.subjectUnemployment
dc.subjectNIDS
dc.subjectLongitudinal data
dc.subjectSubjective wellbeing
dc.subjectLabour market
dc.subjectDiscouraged
dc.subjectLife satisfaction
dc.subjectNon-searching unemployed
dc.titleNew evidence on subjective wellbeing and the definition of unemployment in South Africa
dc.typeWorking Paper
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceWorking Paperen_ZA
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