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A recent study published in Health Economics Review suggests that working fewer hours is linked to higher life satisfaction, with health levels playing a significant role in mediating this relationship. Other contributing factors to life satisfaction include social inclusion, social trust, a sense of safety, and the effects of digitalization.
Income has a well-established impact on life satisfaction, with people earning more typically reporting greater satisfaction with their lives. However, the amount of time spent working also appears to play a crucial role in determining well-being. Previous studies have found that both men and women who work part-time tend to report higher life satisfaction than those working full-time. Additionally, research has shown that the number of hours spent working correlates with happiness levels.
Researcher Qinglong Shao aimed to explore the connection between working hours and life satisfaction, focusing on the mediating effects of health. Shao also examined how factors like social inclusion, social trust, safety, and digitalization might influence life satisfaction. Furthermore, Shao was interested in how income levels related to time spent working. Lastly, the study also looked into job satisfaction across different job sectors.
Shao analyzed data from 18,060 individuals across 10 relevant surveys that asked about life satisfaction, working hours, health status, social inclusion, trust, safety, digitalization, income, marital status, and other demographic factors. The surveys covered six job sectors, including central and local government, education and health, state-owned enterprises, private firms, self-employment, and a category of “other” occupations.
The study revealed that working fewer hours was associated with higher life satisfaction. Shao theorized that this may be because individuals value the extra time to spend with family or attend to other personal responsibilities. Additionally, Shao speculated that people in European countries may enjoy shorter work hours due to higher taxes that support the welfare state.
Shao also found that part-time work was beneficial for health, and better health was linked to greater life satisfaction. Life satisfaction was further enhanced by social trust, inclusion, and feelings of safety. Regarding income, the research showed that higher income is correlated with better life satisfaction, suggesting that individuals who work part-time and report greater life satisfaction are also earning higher wages.
In line with prior research, Shao found that life satisfaction tends to increase with age. However, gender played a role, with men generally reporting lower life satisfaction than women. Additionally, workers in private companies preferred shorter working hours to increase life satisfaction, though no significant relationship was found between working hours and life satisfaction in other sectors.
The study concluded that women, in general, preferred to work fewer hours per week compared to men, and this preference contributed to increased life satisfaction. Moreover, Shao noted that middle-class workers’ income had a more substantial impact on life satisfaction than that of the upper class. He suggested that middle-class individuals are more likely to find motivation in earning more to improve their socio-economic mobility, which boosts their life satisfaction.
The study, “Does less working time improve life satisfaction? Evidence from European Social Survey“, was published September 20, 2022.
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