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The subjective well-being of workfare participants: insights from a day reconstruction survey

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  • Andreas Knabe
  • Ronnie Schöb
  • Joachim Weimann

Abstract

In this article, we shed more light on the subjective well-being of workfare participants and compare it to the well-being of unemployed and employed workers. We use data from a self-conducted survey among participants in workfare schemes in Germany. We examine two subdimensions of subjective well-being – life satisfaction and emotional well-being – separately to obtain a more comprehensive view of the subjective well-being of workfare participants. Our results show that the life satisfaction of people in this group is between that of employed and unemployed people. In contrast, their emotional well-being is the highest of these three groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Knabe & Ronnie Schöb & Joachim Weimann, 2017. "The subjective well-being of workfare participants: insights from a day reconstruction survey," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(13), pages 1311-1325, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:49:y:2017:i:13:p:1311-1325
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2016.1217309
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    Cited by:

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    2. Verena Lauber & Johanna Storck, 2016. "Helping with the Kids? How Family-Friendly Workplaces Affect Parental Well-Being and Behavior," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 883, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. Ivanov, Boris & Pfeiffer, Friedhelm & Pohlan, Laura, 2020. "Do job creation schemes improve the social integration and well-being of the long-term unemployed?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    4. Verena Lauber & Johanna Storck, 2016. "Helping with the Kids? How Family-Friendly Workplaces Affect Parental Well-Being and Behavior," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1630, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    5. Hetschko, Clemens & Knabe, Andreas & Schöb, Ronnie, 2021. "Happiness, Work, and Identity," GLO Discussion Paper Series 783, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Cseh-Papp, Imola & Varga, Erika, 2020. "Labour Market Effects Of Public Work: Hungary’S Example," Acta Carolus Robertus, Karoly Robert University College, vol. 0(Number 1).
    7. Odermatt, Reto & Stutzer, Alois, 2017. "Subjective Well-Being and Public Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 11102, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Tobias Wolf & Maria Metzing & Richard E. Lucas, 2022. "Experienced Well-Being and Labor Market Status: The Role of Pleasure and Meaning," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 691-721, September.
    9. Katrin Hohmeyer & Joachim Wolff, 2018. "Of carrots and sticks: the effect of workfare announcements on the job search behaviour and reservation wage of welfare recipients," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 52(1), pages 1-23, December.
    10. Boll, Christina & Boysen-Hogrefe, Jens & Wolf, André, 2017. "Wie viel Soziale Marktwirtschaft steckt in den Wahlprogrammen zur Bundestagswahl 2017?," HWWI Policy Papers 105, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General

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