oa Maakt werk gelukkig? Tevredenheid van werkenden, werklozen en arbeidsongeschikten

Does work make happy? Satisfaction of the employed, unemployed and disabled

A substantial group of people in the Netherlands are unemployed or disabled. What does not taking part in the employment process mean to them? The purpose of this article is to explore the consequences of a life without work, and the factors that explain the difference in life satisfaction between the employed on the one hand, and people who are unemployed or on disability benefit on the other hand. The findings in this article are based on the LWW-data from 2007, a survey of the living conditions of people who are unemployed, on disability benefit and employed. The results show that non-workers are less satisfied with life than employed persons. Differences in health, social participation and material deprivation partly explain the difference in life satisfaction between the employed and those who are unemployed or on disability benefit.