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Friday the 13th: The Empirics of Bad Luck

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  • Jan Fidrmuc
  • J. D. Tena

Abstract

We use the UK Labor Force survey to investigate whether the socio-economic outcomes of people born on the 13th day of the month, and of those born on Friday the 13th, differ from the outcomes of people born on more auspicious days. In many European countries, including the UK, such days are considered unlucky. We consider outcomes that are unlikely to be affected by behavioral adjustments yet which are of considerable importance to one’s quality of life: employment, earnings and marriage. We find no evidence that people born on the 13th or those born on Friday the 13th suffer any penalty that can be attributable to the inauspicious circumstances of their birth.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Fidrmuc & J. D. Tena, 2014. "Friday the 13th: The Empirics of Bad Luck," CESifo Working Paper Series 5026, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_5026
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    Cited by:

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    2. Andy L. Chou, 2022. "Fortunes and misfortunes of the dragon sons: Direct and cohort effects of superstition on education attainment," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 564-579, November.
    3. Cătălin Emilian Boja & Claudiu Herţeliu & Marian Dârdală & Bogdan Vasile Ileanu, 2018. "Day of the week submission effect for accepted papers in Physica A, PLOS ONE, Nature and Cell," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(2), pages 887-918, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    superstition; employment; labor market; marriage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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