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  5. The Changing (Dis-)utility of Work

The Changing (Dis-)utility of Work

  • Greg Kaplan
  • Sam Schulhofer-Wohl
Journal of Economic Perspectives
vol. 32, no. 3, Summer 2018
(pp. 239-58)
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Abstract

We study how changes in the distribution of occupations have affected the aggregate non-pecuniary costs and benefits of working. The physical toll of work is less now than in 1950, with workers shifting away from occupations in which people report experiencing tiredness and pain. The emotional consequences of the changing occupation distribution vary substantially across demographic groups. Work has become happier and more meaningful for women, but more stressful and less meaningful for men. These changes appear to be concentrated at lower education levels.

Citation

Kaplan, Greg, and Sam Schulhofer-Wohl. 2018. "The Changing (Dis-)utility of Work." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 32 (3): 239-58. DOI: 10.1257/jep.32.3.239

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • I26 Returns to Education
  • J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
  • J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
  • J28 Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
  • J81 Labor Standards: Working Conditions
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