Gábor Hajdu

Do People Have Different Views on Work by Age, Period and Birth Cohort?

The aim of this article is exploratory: we test empirically whether employment commitment varies by birth cohort, age, and time period. We also examine how perceived work rewards, work values, and labor market regime types are associated with employment commitment. We used data from four waves of the International Social Survey Programme from more than 30 countries. Using hierarchical age-period-cohort models (HAPC) we separated the effect of the three time-related variables. We did not find significant gaps between birth cohorts with respect to employment commitment. Our results show that employment commitment is U-shaped by age with the highest level among the young. Employment commitment fell between 1997 and 2005 but then made a recovery. Both perceived work rewards and work values associated strongly with employment commitment. Those who seek extrinsic rewards are less committed, whereas those who seek intrinsic rewards are more committed. Though both extrinsic and intrinsic perceived work rewards correlate positively with employment commitment, the role of the intrinsic rewards seems to be more important than extrinsic rewards. The level of employment commitment is the highest in Scandinavian countries and the lowest in southern European and post-communist countries.

Smoking ban and health at birth: Evidence from Hungary

HIGHLIGHTSIn 2012, smoking restrictions were extended to hospitality venues in Hungary.We apply a difference‐in‐differences model to estimate the birth‐related effects.The smoking ban has improved health at birth.The effects are larger for newborns of parents with low educational attainment.Newborns at the bottom of the fetal health endowment distribution benefit more. ABSTRACT In 2012, smoking restrictions were extended to hospitality venues in Hungary. Women working in bars and restaurants were primarily affected by the intervention. In this research, we analyze the effect of this smoking ban on the outcomes of their pregnancies. Using individual live birth, fetal loss, and infant mortality registry data, we examine the probability of live birth, indicators of health at birth, and the probability of death in the first year of life. We apply a difference‐in‐differences framework and show that the smoking ban has improved health at birth. We observed birth weight to increase by 56g (95% CI: 4.2 to 106.8) and gestation length by 0.19 weeks (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.36). Due to the ban, the probability of being born with very low and low birth weight has decreased by 1.2 and 2.2 percentage points, respectively (95% CI: −0.2 to −2.2 and 0.06 to −4.4), and we see a 0.9 percentage points reduction in the chance of being born very preterm (95% CI: −0.03 to −1.9). We also observe a decrease in the probability of being born with a low Ponderal index (decrease of 4.1 percentage points, 95% CI: −0.7 to −7.5). Performing a series of robustness and placebo tests, we provide evidence that supports the causal interpretation of our results. We also show that the ban was more beneficial for newborns of parents with low educational attainment and at the bottom of the fetal health endowment distribution.

The Size and Heterogeneity of Egocentric Networks and Social Integration in Hungary

In this study, we examine the relationship between objective and subjective dimensions of social integration and the size and heterogeneity of an egocentric network using nationally representative databases from Hungary. We measure social integration with the level of trust and the level of public participation (objective dimension) and with individuals’ self-evaluation of whether they are integrated (subjective dimension). Our results show that while the size and heterogeneity of the egocentric network are positively associated, the proportion of relatives among strong ties correlates negatively with objective indicators of social integration. The heterogeneity of weak ties is related positively to public participation. The correlation between the size and composition of egocentric networks and subjective integration is less clear: The proportion of relatives among strong ties seems to be unrelated to the external side of perceived social integration, while it is associated positively with the internal side of subjective integration. The number of strong ties seems to be positively correlated with both sides of subjective integration. These results suggest that higher levels of social integration cannot be achieved without concentrating on more than one of the network’s dimensions. They also underline the need to pay more attention to network characteristics and social support not only regarding perceived social integration but also regarding objective indicators of social integration.