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Author: Ullah, Aman
Resulting in 2 citations.
1. Mohanty, Madhu Sudan
Ullah, Aman
Direct and Indirect Effects of Happiness on Wage: A Simultaneous Equations Approach
Journal of Socio-Economics 41,2 (April 2012): 143-152.
Also: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053535711001569
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Elsevier
Keyword(s): Happiness (see Positive Affect/Optimism); Income Level; Schooling; Wage Equations

Using data from the United States National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) and following a two-stage method, the current study estimates wage, schooling and happiness equations simultaneously and demonstrates that happiness affects the worker's wage not only directly, but also indirectly through its direct effect on years of schooling. The simultaneous relation between happiness and schooling demonstrated in this study further suggests that schooling also affects wage both directly and indirectly through happiness. The study supports the argument presented in several earlier studies that higher income does not necessarily guarantee higher levels of happiness.
Bibliography Citation
Mohanty, Madhu Sudan and Aman Ullah. "Direct and Indirect Effects of Happiness on Wage: A Simultaneous Equations Approach." Journal of Socio-Economics 41,2 (April 2012): 143-152.
2. Mohanty, Madhu Sudan
Ullah, Aman
Why Does Growing up in an Intact Family during Childhood Lead to Higher Earnings during Adulthood in the United States?
American Journal of Economics and Sociology 71,3 (July 2012): 662-695.
Also: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1536-7150.2012.00828.x/full
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc.
Keyword(s): Earnings; Educational Attainment; Families, Two-Parent; Family Characteristics; Family Structure; Happiness (see Positive Affect/Optimism)

With a view to finding an explanation of the observed differences in adult annual earnings between workers raised in intact (INTACT) and non-intact families in the US labor market, this study tests two hypotheses. First, workers growing up in intact families during childhood earn more during their adulthood because they acquire more years of schooling, which in turn affect their wages positively. Second, intact family background acts as an instrument for numerous factors that contribute to workers' happiness during adulthood. Since happier workers, with other characteristics held constant, are known to have higher earnings, workers raised in intact families during childhood by leading a relatively happier life during their adulthood earn more than their otherwise identical non-intact counterparts. Both these hypotheses find strong support from the US data. The evidence of simultaneous relationships between wage and happiness and between happiness and schooling confirms that the true effect of INTACT on wage may be much larger than what is envisaged by a simple one-step process. Regardless of whether this relationship is due to causation or correlation, the study simply demonstrates that the US evidence of higher earnings associated with workers raised in intact families may be attributed partly to their higher levels of schooling and happier lives. By demonstrating a significant positive relationship between the stability of parental family structure during childhood and earnings during adulthood, the current study highlights the importance of responsible parenthood as a means of improving the child's future economic performance.
Bibliography Citation
Mohanty, Madhu Sudan and Aman Ullah. "Why Does Growing up in an Intact Family during Childhood Lead to Higher Earnings during Adulthood in the United States?" American Journal of Economics and Sociology 71,3 (July 2012): 662-695.