Sons’ Unexpected Long Term Scarring Due to Fathers’ Unemployment

Melbourne Institute Working Paper No. 21/12

Date: October 2012

Author(s):

Michael Kind
John de New

Abstract

This study focuses on the long term effects of unemployment on subjective wellbeing in a family context for 17-24 year old sons living with at least one parent, using data from the German SOEP. As fathers enter unemployment, sons’ subjective wellbeing is not only reduced immediately, but also 5 years into the future. As this future reduction remains unexpected by the sons, this suggests even higher true costs of unemployment than previously thought.

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