Reduction of Working Time: Does It Lead to a Healthy Lifestyle?
利用韩国缩短工作周的外生变化，研究发现减少工作时间能促进定期锻炼、降低吸烟概率，但增加了饮酒参与，对女性和老年人锻炼效果更显著。
I examine whether working hours have a causal effect on the health behaviors of workers. In assessing the causal relationship, I estimate fixed-effects instrumental variable models by using exogenous variation in adopting a reduced workweek in South Korea as an instrument for work hours. The estimation results reveal that shortening work hours induces individuals to exercise regularly and decreases the likelihood of smoking, with more pronounced effects for heavy smokers. While a work-hour reduction substantially increases the probability of drinking participation, it does not significantly affect the likelihood of frequent or daily drinking habits. In addition, the effect of a work-hour reduction on regular exercise is salient among women and older groups, and the effect on smoking behaviors is more pronounced among men and middle-aged groups. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.