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How satisfied are Spouses with their Leisure Time? Evidence from Europe

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>12/2007
<mark>Journal</mark>Journal of Family and Economic Issues
Issue number4
Volume28
Number of pages10
Pages (from-to)546-565
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This paper first identifies the determinants of spouses’ satisfaction levels within the household with respect to their leisure time and, secondly, characterizes whether their preferences have some degree of altruistic or egoistic character in regard to this particular satisfaction. To that end, it formulates a theoretical framework from the collective family model whose stochastic formulations are estimated for 14 EU countries. The general empirical results first reveal that the presence of children has a significantly negative impact on the leisure satisfaction of both spouses. Then, increases in individual incomes lead to lower own leisure satisfaction levels. Both husbands and wives show egoistic behavior with respect to the labor and non-labor incomes (wage rate) of their respective spouses’ satisfaction levels.