Report

Does Job Satisfaction Improve the Health of Workers? New Evidence Using Panel Data and Objective Measures of Health

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Fischer, Justina A.V.
Sousa-Poza, Alfonso

Abstract / Description

This paper evaluates the relationship between job satisfaction and measures of health of workers using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP). Methodologically, it addresses two important design problems encountered frequently in the literature: (a) cross-sectional causality problems and (b) absence of objective measures of physical health that complement self-reported measures of health status. Not only does using the panel structure with individual fixed effects mitigate the bias from omitting unobservable personal psychosocial characteristics, but employing more objective health measures such as health-system contacts and disability addresses such measurement problems relating to self-report assessments of health status. We find a positive link between job satisfaction (and changes over time therein) and subjective health measures (and changes therein); that is, employees with higher or improved job satisfaction levels feel healthier and are more satisfied with their health. This observation also holds true for more objective measures of health. Particularly, improvements in job satisfaction over time appear to prevent workers from (further) health deterioration.

Keyword(s)

Arbeitszufriedenheit Zufriedenheit Gesundheit Arbeitszufriedenheit Zufriedenheit Gesundheit job satisfaction well-being health panel data analysis

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2007

Is part of series

Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit/ Institute for the Study of Labor: IZA Discussion Paper Series;3256

Citation

  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Fischer, Justina A.V.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2022-11-17T11:03:11Z
  • Made available on
    2008-06-02
  • Made available on
    2015-12-01T10:32:08Z
  • Made available on
    2022-11-17T11:03:11Z
  • Date of first publication
    2007
  • Abstract / Description
    This paper evaluates the relationship between job satisfaction and measures of health of workers using the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP). Methodologically, it addresses two important design problems encountered frequently in the literature: (a) cross-sectional causality problems and (b) absence of objective measures of physical health that complement self-reported measures of health status. Not only does using the panel structure with individual fixed effects mitigate the bias from omitting unobservable personal psychosocial characteristics, but employing more objective health measures such as health-system contacts and disability addresses such measurement problems relating to self-report assessments of health status. We find a positive link between job satisfaction (and changes over time therein) and subjective health measures (and changes therein); that is, employees with higher or improved job satisfaction levels feel healthier and are more satisfied with their health. This observation also holds true for more objective measures of health. Particularly, improvements in job satisfaction over time appear to prevent workers from (further) health deterioration.
    en
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bsz:291-psydok-16158
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11780/1079
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.8982
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Is part of
    IZA Discussion Paper Series No. 3256
  • Is part of series
    Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit/ Institute for the Study of Labor: IZA Discussion Paper Series;3256
  • Keyword(s)
    Arbeitszufriedenheit
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Zufriedenheit
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Gesundheit
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Arbeitszufriedenheit
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Zufriedenheit
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    Gesundheit
    de
  • Keyword(s)
    job satisfaction
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    well-being
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    health
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    panel data analysis
    en
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Does Job Satisfaction Improve the Health of Workers? New Evidence Using Panel Data and Objective Measures of Health
    en
  • DRO type
    report
  • Visible tag(s)
    PsyDok