Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/214634 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Citation: 
[Journal:] Health Economics [ISSN:] 1099-1050 [Volume:] 29 [Issue:] 2 [Publisher:] Wiley [Place:] New York, NY [Year:] 2020 [Pages:] 154-170
Publisher: 
Wiley, New York, NY
Abstract: 
Although unemployment likely entails various externalities, research examining its spillover effects on spouses is scarce. This is the first paper to estimate effects of unemployment on the smoking behavior of both spouses. Using German Socio-Economic Panel data, we combine matching and difference-in-differences estimation, employing the post-double-selection method for control variable selection via Lasso regressions. One spouse's unemployment increases both spouses' smoking probability and intensity. Smoking relapses and decreased smoking cessation drive the effects. Effects are stronger if the partner already smokes and if the male partner becomes unemployed. Of several mechanisms discussed, we identify smoking to cope with stress as relevant.
Subjects: 
job loss
post-double-selection method
risky health behaviors
smoking
spillover effects
unemployment
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by-nc-nd Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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