臺灣不同社經身分其福祉恆常差距之實證研究

Permanent Well-being Gaps across Socioeconomic Status in Taiwan

本文利用2007–2020年華人家庭動態調查（Panel Study of Family Dynamics）之追蹤資料，檢視各社經身分在幸福感以及健康、工作與家庭生活滿意度之恆常差距。首先以混合模型（mixed model）預測個人福祉恆常偏離的幅度，並利用似無相關聯立（seemingly unrelated regressions equations, SURE）模型檢視各社經身分之福祉差距。實證結果顯示，學歷低於平均者的各方福祉均偏低，並且個人之教育薪酬折溢價幅度與其福祉呈現正向關係。此外，低社經身分者不佳之經濟狀況，亦可能來自較高的退出勞動市場風險率（hazard ratio）。由於恆常經濟狀態將影響各方福祉，實證結果亦顯示55歲前之幸福感變化，受到工作滿意度的影響最大。

This study adopts 2007–2020 longitudinal data surveyed from the Panel Study of Family Dynamics Database to examine well-being gaps across socioeconomic status. The well-being discussed here are happiness as well as satisfactions on health, job and family life. We used a mixed model to predict the well-being magnitude with which an individual deviated from others permanently, and adopted seemingly unrelated regressions equations to identify the effects of socioeconomic status on well-being.
Our empirical findings show that those with lower-than-average education would experience inferior well-being in all aspects. An individual’s extra (or discount) education premium is positively associated with his well-being. Additionally, the tough revenue situations for those with low-socioeconomic status may arise from their higher hazard ratio of labor-force withdrawal. Since permanent earnings status would affect one’s well-being, we also find that an individual’s happiness variation before the age of 55 is largely attributable to job satisfaction.