Work

Joint effects of ill-health, health shocks and social protection on the intensive margin of labour supply: evidence from Malawi

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There is sparse evidence on the joint effects of ill-health, health shocks and social protection on the intensive margin of labour supply, particularly in developing countries. We interact ill-health and health shocks with access to social protection and estimate their joint effects on weekly hours of work. METHODS: We employ a zero-inflated Poisson model to assess joint effects of ill-health, health shocks and social protection on weekly hours of work exploiting pooled repeated cross-sectional data from Malawi. RESULTS: We find that overall, individuals who suffered from ill-health or a health shock, including an illness/injury, a hospital admission or a chronic illness and benefited from social protection, reduced their weekly hours of work. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides novel empirical evidence on the potential joint effects of ill-health, health shocks and social protection on the intensive margin of labour supply, shedding light on the role social protection can play in developing countries.

Source: Health Economics Review

DOI: 10.1186/s13561-024-00548-w

Authors: Ken Chamuva Shawa, Bruce Hollingsworth, Eugenio Zucchelli

Institutions: International Labour Organization, Lancaster University, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Language: English

Topic: Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being, No poverty

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,790