Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Rise in Good Economic Times: Evidence from OECD

Gerdtham, Ulf LU orcid and Ruhm, Christopher J. (2002) In NBER Working Paper
Abstract
This study uses aggregate data for 23 OECD countries over the 1960-1997 period to examine the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and fatalities. The main finding is that total mortality and deaths from several common causes increase when labor markets strengthen. For instance, controlling for year effects, location fixed effects, country-specific time trends and demographic characteristics, a one percentage point decrease in the national unemployment rate is associated with a 0.4 percent rise in total mortality and 0.4, 1.1, 1.8, 2.1 and 0.8 percent increases in deaths from cardiovascular disease, influenza/pneumonia, liver disease, motor vehicle fatalities and other accidents. These results are consistent with the findings of... (More)
This study uses aggregate data for 23 OECD countries over the 1960-1997 period to examine the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and fatalities. The main finding is that total mortality and deaths from several common causes increase when labor markets strengthen. For instance, controlling for year effects, location fixed effects, country-specific time trends and demographic characteristics, a one percentage point decrease in the national unemployment rate is associated with a 0.4 percent rise in total mortality and 0.4, 1.1, 1.8, 2.1 and 0.8 percent increases in deaths from cardiovascular disease, influenza/pneumonia, liver disease, motor vehicle fatalities and other accidents. These results are consistent with the findings of other recent research and cast doubt on the hypothesis that economic downturns have negative effects on physical health. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
in
NBER Working Paper
issue
9357
pages
26 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1e3d8910-bdf7-4fd2-aa5f-0f36b0ae3d6e
alternative location
http://www.nber.org/papers/w9357.pdf
date added to LUP
2017-12-10 11:40:18
date last changed
2019-03-08 02:53:43
@misc{1e3d8910-bdf7-4fd2-aa5f-0f36b0ae3d6e,
  abstract     = {{This study uses aggregate data for 23 OECD countries over the 1960-1997 period to examine the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and fatalities. The main finding is that total mortality and deaths from several common causes increase when labor markets strengthen. For instance, controlling for year effects, location fixed effects, country-specific time trends and demographic characteristics, a one percentage point decrease in the national unemployment rate is associated with a 0.4 percent rise in total mortality and 0.4, 1.1, 1.8, 2.1 and 0.8 percent increases in deaths from cardiovascular disease, influenza/pneumonia, liver disease, motor vehicle fatalities and other accidents. These results are consistent with the findings of other recent research and cast doubt on the hypothesis that economic downturns have negative effects on physical health.}},
  author       = {{Gerdtham, Ulf and Ruhm, Christopher J.}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{9357}},
  series       = {{NBER Working Paper}},
  title        = {{Rise in Good Economic Times: Evidence from OECD}},
  url          = {{http://www.nber.org/papers/w9357.pdf}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}