Work and family as factors determining Individual Subjective Well-Being in Spain

We investigate the degree of satisfaction with life carried by individuals for the Spanish case and which are some of the most influential work and personal factors, all according to their family structure: single, single parent, couples with children and childless couples, and two periods in the recent economic cycle. In this paper, the subjective individual well-being level is analyzed as an indicator of inequality. We use factors from two of the areas in which the individual develops most part of his life: work and family. It is an empirical analysis with not too many precedents in the literature, using these family models and incorporating only labour and personal factors and not considering other variables such as health, to better highlight the relevance of labor considerations. The results indicate substantial differences in the degree of individual well-being depending on family type and cycle. Furthermore, of the explanatory variables, job satisfaction, and good labour relations and social relations on the job were found to be the most important and significant in relation to well-being. The research could serve to orient human resource policies in companies and also public policies to improve the plight of those least satisfied with the lives they lead, here single parents and couples with children.