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Unemployment and sleep: evidence from the United States and Europe

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  • Blanchflower, David G.
  • Bryson, Alex

Abstract

Using data for over 2.5 million individuals in the United States over the period 2006–2019 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey series we show the unemployed suffer sleep disruption. The unemployed suffer more short and long sleep than the employed and are more likely to suffer from disturbed sleep. These are especially problematic for the long-term unemployed and for the jobless who say they are unable to work. Similar findings on unemployment and poor sleep quality are found in European data. Increases in the unemployment rate raise the incidence of short sleep and lower sleep durations.

Suggested Citation

  • Blanchflower, David G. & Bryson, Alex, 2021. "Unemployment and sleep: evidence from the United States and Europe," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:43:y:2021:i:c:s1570677x21000666
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101042
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kerry L. Papps & Alex Bryson & James Reade, 2023. "Running Up that Hill: Fitness in the Face of Recession," DoQSS Working Papers 23-03, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    3. Chadi, Cornelia, 2023. "Too stressed to sleep? Downsizing, job insecurity and sleep behavior," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    4. Conlin, Andrew & Nerg, Iiro & Ala-Mursula, Leena & Räihä, Tapio & Korhonen, Marko, 2023. "The association between chronotype and wages at mid-age," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    5. Blanchflower, David G. & Bryson, Alex, 2024. "The adult consequences of being bullied in childhood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 345(C).
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    7. Yea-Li-A Song & Jae-Hyun Park, 2022. "Differences in Body Mass Index Trajectories and Their Classification, Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Health Behaviors between People with and without Disabilities Using Korea Health Panel Surve," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-13, February.
    8. David G. Blanchflower & Alex Bryson, 2021. "The Consequences of Chronic Pain in Mid-Life: Evidence from the National Child Development Survey," NBER Working Papers 29278, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sleep; Short sleep; Long sleep; Disturbed sleep; Unemployment; Unable to work; Joblessness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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