Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/323342 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 1638
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
This paper investigates the effect of partner unemployment on individual physical health. Using data from two nationally representative Italian surveys of households and employing partial identification to address endogenous selection into unemployment, we show that the impact of partner unemployment on individual physical health is related to the role of the unemployed within the household. We document a null effect when the spouse is unemployed, whereas we find a negative health effect when the household head is unemployed. The negative effect of household head unemployment may be explained by a larger budget constraint and a consequent change in the dietary habits involving all household members. In particular, we highlight a decline in the quality of food consumption in the household when the household head is unemployed.
Subjects: 
Unemployment
dietary habits
consumption
food quality
body mass index
JEL: 
D12
I10
J12
J60
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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