Differences in the effect of social capital on health status between workers and non-workers

Yamamura, Eiji (2010): Differences in the effect of social capital on health status between workers and non-workers.

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship of social capital to self-rated health status in Japan, and how this is affected by the labor market. Data of 3075 adult participants in the 2000 Social Policy and Social Consciousness (SPSC) survey were used. Controlling for endogenous bias, the main finding is that social capital has a significant positive influence on health status for people without a job but not for those with. This empirical study provides evidence that people without a job can afford to allocate time to accumulate social capital and thereby improve their health status.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: health status, social capital, labor market
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I19 - Other; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J22 - Time Allocation and Labor Supply; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology > Z13 - Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology ; Social and Economic Stratification

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