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A Changing Nexus Between Unemployment and Suicide in Taiwan: Before and After Labor Welfare Improvement in the Late 1990s

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  • Yun-Shan Chan

    (National Taipei University)

  • Tsai-Ching Liu

    (National Taipei University)

  • Chin-Shyan Chen

    (National Taipei University)

  • Yu-I Peng

    (National Taipei University)

Abstract

Suicide has long been believed to be highly associated with unemployment. The connection between unemployment and suicide, however, might become weak with the development of social welfare system. Using the monthly data during 1991/1–2012/12 in Taiwan, the study examines the association between unemployment and suicide. Our empirical results reveal that unemployment rates clearly had a positive effect on suicide rates during 1990s when the social welfare system was not fully formatted. The positive suicide-unemployment nexus, however, was no longer significant since the authorities passed a series of welfare policies to take care of minorities with financial difficulties. The results show that labor welfare improvement may reduce the financial hardship from being jobless and, therefore, untied the connection between unemployment rates and suicide rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Yun-Shan Chan & Tsai-Ching Liu & Chin-Shyan Chen & Yu-I Peng, 2018. "A Changing Nexus Between Unemployment and Suicide in Taiwan: Before and After Labor Welfare Improvement in the Late 1990s," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 333-346, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:140:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-017-1772-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1772-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claveria, Oscar, 2022. "Global economic uncertainty and suicide: Worldwide evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).

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