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Addiction to work: An Inelastic Wage Elasticity of Labour Supply Equals Long Hours of Work

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  • Donatella Cavagnoli

    (La Trobe University)

Abstract

A phenomenon of the last twenty years is the growth of ‘very long hours’ of work, especially amongst high-skilled labour. This is an unexpected reversal of a long trend in the opposite direction. This paper criticises the Beckerian analysis of labour-leisure choice. It argues that the more time is consumed in paid work, the more are preferences for paid work affected by it; thereby creating a vicious cycle of consumption patterns which lead to longer than expected hours of work.

Suggested Citation

  • Donatella Cavagnoli, 2008. "Addiction to work: An Inelastic Wage Elasticity of Labour Supply Equals Long Hours of Work," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 11(2), pages 129-147.
    • Handle: RePEc:ozl:journl:v:11:y:2008:i:2:p:129-147
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    7. Yi-Ping Tseng & Mark Wooden, 2005. "Preferred vs Actual Working Hours in Couple Households," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2005n07, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    8. Jacob Mincer, 1993. "Studies In Labor Supply," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 317, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Donatella Cavagnoli, 2012. "The Labour Supply Curve: A Pluralist Approach to Investigate its Measurements," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 23(3), pages 71-88, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Time Allocation and Labor Supply; Labor Economics; General Intertemporal Consumer Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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