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The happy artist: an empirical application of the work-preference model

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  • Lasse Steiner
  • Lucian Schneider

Abstract

The artistic labor market is marked by several adversities, such as low wages, above-average unemployment, and constrained underemployment. Nevertheless, it attracts many young people. The number of students exceeds the available jobs by far. A potential explanation for this puzzle is that artistic work might result in exceptionally high job satisfaction, a conjecture that has been mentioned at various times in the literature. We conduct the first direct empirical investigation into artists’ job satisfaction. The analysis is based on panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey. Artists on average are found to be considerably more satisfied with their work than non-artists, a finding that corroborates the conjectures in the literature. Differences in income, working hours, and personality cannot account for the observed difference in job satisfaction. Partially, but not fully, the higher job satisfaction can be attributed to the higher self-employment rate among artists. Suggestive evidence is found that superior “procedural” characteristics of artistic work, such as increased variety and on-the-job learning, contribute to the difference in job satisfaction. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

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  • Lasse Steiner & Lucian Schneider, 2013. "The happy artist: an empirical application of the work-preference model," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 37(2), pages 225-246, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jculte:v:37:y:2013:i:2:p:225-246
    DOI: 10.1007/s10824-012-9179-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Karol Jan Borowiecki, 2017. "How Are You, My Dearest Mozart? Well-Being and Creativity of Three Famous Composers Based on Their Letters," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(4), pages 591-605, July.
    2. Jianbo Jeff Luo, 2022. "Is Work a Burden? The Role of the Living Standard," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 61-77, August.
    3. Alexander Cuntz, 2018. "Creators’ Income Situation in the Digital Age," LIS Working papers 755, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    4. Jonas Silva Henrique & Ana Flávia Machado & Mariangela Furlan Antigo, 2023. "Work satisfaction and job permanence in artistic careers: the case of musicians in Belo Horizonte, Brazil," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 47(4), pages 693-718, December.
    5. Alexander Cuntz & Angie L. Miller, 2018. "Unpacking predictors of income and income satisfaction for artists," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 50, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.
    6. Beate Elstad & Erik Døving & Dag Jansson, 2022. "Precariousness during an ongoing crisis. Cultural workers and the corona pandemic," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(5), pages 466-483, September.
    7. Richard J. Paulsen, 2022. "Arts majors and the Great Recession: a cross-sectional analysis of educational choices and employment outcomes," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 46(4), pages 635-658, December.
    8. Bille, Trine & Fjællegaard, Cecilie Bryld & Frey, Bruno S. & Steiner, Lasse, 2013. "Happiness in the arts—International evidence on artists’ job satisfaction," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 121(1), pages 15-18.
    9. Thomas Longden & David Throsby, 2021. "Non‐Pecuniary Rewards, Multiple Job‐Holding and the Labour Supply of Creative Workers: The Case of Book Authors," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 97(316), pages 24-44, March.
    10. Ana Machado & Alexandre Rabelo & Arthur Moreira, 2014. "Specificities of the artistic cultural labor market in Brazilian metropolitan regions between 2002 and 2010," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 38(3), pages 237-251, August.
    11. Telma Barrantes-Fernández & Esteban Cruz-Hidalgo & José Francisco Rangel-Preciado & Francisco Manuel Parejo-Moruno, 2023. "Decommodify the 2030 Agenda: Why and How to Finance What Is Not Profitable?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, February.
    12. Trine Bille & Knut Løyland & Anders Holm, 2017. "Work for Passion or Money? Variations in Artists’ Labor Supply," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 347-380, August.
    13. Joanna Woronkowicz & Aparna Soni & Seth Freedman & Kosali Simon, 2020. "How have recent health insurance expansions affected coverage among artist occupations in the USA?," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 44(1), pages 117-154, March.
    14. Trine Bille & Søren Jensen, 2018. "Artistic education matters: survival in the arts occupations," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 42(1), pages 23-43, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Job satisfaction; Artists; Work-preference; Cultural economics; Z10; J24; J28; J31;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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