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Lu Z, Wang S, Ling W, Guo Y. Gig work and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A gendered examination of comparisons with regular employment and unemployment. Soc Sci Med 2023; 337:116281. [PMID: 37857244 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The rise of the platform economy during the Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated extensive discussions about whether gig workers can obtain equivalent mental health benefits of regular paid employment. Drawing on nationally representative data in the UK, this study aims to examine (1) whether transitioning from no paid work to gig work during Covid-19 is associated with better or worse mental health compared with those who remained not employed and those who became employed in regular jobs; (2) what mechanisms can explain the mental health differences; (3) how the patterns may differ by gender. The results show that transition into gig work is associated with better mental health compared with those who remained not employed, but this pattern is only for male (rather than female) gig workers and can be largely explained by their better financial situation and lower level of loneliness. For both men and women, the transition into gig work is associated with worse mental health compared with the transition into regular employment, but the mechanisms vary across genders. For male gig workers, both higher levels of financial precarity and loneliness in gig work can explain their mental health disadvantages compared with regular workers, but for female gig workers, none of them is at work. These findings facilitate a better understanding of the health consequences of the gig economy, revealing important gender-differentiated socio-psychological mechanisms through which gig work shapes mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuofei Lu
- Department of Social Statistics, University of Manchester, HBS Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Senhu Wang
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore, 11 Arts Link, #03-06 AS1, 117573, Singapore.
| | - Wanying Ling
- Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong, The Jockey Club Tower, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100872, PR China.
| | - Ya Guo
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore, 11 Arts Link, #03-06 AS1, 117573, Singapore.
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Pan W, Jing FF, Liang Y. Working time variation and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in China. SSM Popul Health 2023; 23:101487. [PMID: 37588764 PMCID: PMC10425393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a significant shift in labor market dynamics, leading to a notable increase in labor market flexibilization. One prominent aspect of this transformation is the growing variation in working time patterns. The irregular and unpredictable nature of working time may contribute to increased stress levels, difficulty in establishing routines, and challenges in maintaining work-life boundaries. Drawing on China General Social survey 2021, this study aims to examine (1) the relationship between working time variation and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in China; (2) whether the relationship can be mediated by work-family conflict; (3) to what extent the relationship varies across occupations. We find that working time variation is associated with significantly worse mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in China, and around half of the negative effect can be mediated by increased work-family conflict. Moreover, the negative association is more pronounced among non-professional occupations than professional occupations. Overall, these findings shed light on the detrimental impact of working time variation on mental health and its potential mechanism, highlighting how novel work paradigm may interact with existing labor market inequalities to shape workers' mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Pan
- School of Public Administration, Hohai University, No.8 West Focheng Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211100, China
| | - Fenwick Feng Jing
- School of Management, Qufu Normal University, No. 80 North Yantai Road, Rizhao, Shandong, 276826, China
| | - Yuhui Liang
- School of Public Administration, Hohai University, No.8 West Focheng Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211100, China
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Wang S, Gong S. Gender‐role preference matters: How family policy dissemination affects marriage/fertility intentions. GENDER WORK AND ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Senhu Wang
- Department of Sociology National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | - Shun Gong
- Institute of Sociology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Beijing China
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Can Volunteering Buffer the Negative Impacts of Unemployment and Economic Inactivity on Mental Health? Longitudinal Evidence from the United Kingdom. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116809. [PMID: 35682391 PMCID: PMC9180187 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that volunteering can mitigate the negative mental health impacts of unemployment but has yielded mixed results. This study extends the previous literature by examining whether volunteering can buffer the negative impacts of both unemployment and economic inactivity on mental health. Using nationally representative panel data from the United Kingdom Longitudinal Household Study (2010–2020) and fixed effects models, this study yields three important findings: First, volunteering cannot mitigate the adverse effects of unemployment, regardless of gender. Second, frequent volunteering (at least once per month) can benefit the mental health of economically inactive groups (e.g., family care and long-term sickness). Third, the study reveals the gendered patterns of the impacts of volunteering. Specifically, frequent volunteering can buffer the negative impacts of family care or long-term sickness for men, and the negative impacts of unpaid work for women. Overall, these findings contribute towards a more nuanced understanding of the buffering role of volunteering and its gendered patterns. Policymakers should offer more volunteering opportunities and training to these economically inactive groups to reduce their risk of mental issues.
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Li S, Ten Berge J, Kristiansen MH. Burnout and Its Antecedents: Considering Both Work and Household Time Claims, and Flexibility in Relation to Burnout. Front Public Health 2022; 10:863348. [PMID: 35619811 PMCID: PMC9128481 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.863348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This study contributes to the previous literature by examining how flexible work arrangements interact with work and family time claims to affect burnout. It does so by providing a theoretical framework and empirical test of the interaction of flexibility with the effect of work and family time claims on burnout. Hypotheses and predictions based on previous literature are tested by Ordinary Least Squared regression models using data from the Time Competition Survey, constituting a sample of 1,058 employees of 89 function groups within 30 organizations. We found no main effects of work and family time claims or flexible work arrangements on burnout. However, the results do show an interaction of flexible working hours with the effect of work and family time claims on burnout. Specifically, the higher an individual's work and family time claims, the more this person benefits from having flexible working hours. In general, the results support the proposition that the relationship between work and family time claims and burnout differs for individuals with different levels of flexible work arrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuanglong Li
- Department of Sociology, School of Public Administration, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jannes Ten Berge
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Wang S, Liu A, Guo W. Public and Commercial Medical Insurance Enrollment Rates of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China. Front Public Health 2021; 9:749330. [PMID: 34917573 PMCID: PMC8669388 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.749330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Large-scale rural-to-urban migration of China has provoked heated discussion about the health of migrants and whether they have equal access to the health resources. This article aimed to compare the public and commercial medical insurance enrollment rates between temporary, permanent migrants and urban natives. Methods: Average marginal effects (AME) of the weighted logistic regression models using 2017 China General Social Survey from 2,068 urban natives, 1,285 temporary migrants, and 1,295 permanent migrants. Results: After controlling for the demographic and socio-economic characteristics, our results show that while the temporary and permanent migrants have a similar public insurance enrollment rate compared with the urban natives, both temporary and permanent migrants have significantly lower commercial insurance enrollment rates (7.5 and 5.3%, respectively) compared with the urban natives. Conclusions: The results highlight significant institutional barriers preventing the temporary migrants from gaining access to public medical insurance and the adverse impact of disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds on the access of temporary migrants to both public and commercial insurance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senhu Wang
- Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anran Liu
- School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- The Centre for Asia-Pacific Development Studies, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Exploring Extrinsic and Intrinsic Work Values of British Ethnic Minorities: The Roles of Demographic Background, Job Characteristics and Immigrant Generation. SOCIAL SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci10110419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite the increasingly diverse ethnic composition of the British labor force, there is no research investigating whether ethnic minorities have different work values from the White British demographic (White British). Using nationally representative data (2012–2013), this article fills this gap by comparing extrinsic and intrinsic work values between White British and five ethnic minorities, while distinguishing between first and second generations. The results show that both first- and second- generation minorities have stronger extrinsic work values than White British, but the ethnic differences are more pronounced for the second generations. Compared to White British, while first-generation minorities have weaker intrinsic work values, the second generations have stronger intrinsic work values. Differences in extrinsic work values are partly explained by differences in age, education and income, while differences in intrinsic work values are largely explained by age, education and job autonomy. These results hold significant implications for understanding the career choices of ethnic minorities and labor market outcomes.
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