Kim, Myoung-Hee & Young Kyung Do. 2013. Effects of Husbands’ Employment Status on Their Wives’ Subjective Well-being in Korea. Journal of Marriage and Family 75: 288-299.
This article aims to explore the effect of a husband’s unemployment on his wife’s subjective well-being in Korea by using data from the Korea Labor and Income Panel Survey (2001, 2003-2007). Many studies have offered an understanding of the effect of spousal unemployment on family, but they are highly limited in high-income Western countries. Few studies have addressed the issue in Asian countries many of whom have been facing with economic uncertainties and massive layoffs. They found out that husband’s unemployment has a significant effect on the subject well-being of the wives. These wives are more likely to report overall life dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction with family relations and social relations.In conclusion, husband’s unemployment is detrimental to his wife’s subjective well-being. And it is mediated partially through nonpecuniary factors, such as life satisfaction, satisfaction with family relations, and satisfaction with social relations in Korea. This might be explained by the strong work ethics, the male-breadwinner ideology and unsatisfactory welfare system.