Apr 14 2008

Recession: good for your health?

2 Responses to “Recession: good for your health?”

1. # Annon 12 May 2008 at 7:17 am

   Yeah, I read this before. Please note it is not as if this type of research is without controversy. This research topic started way back in the 1920s with Dorothy Thomas. Since then each time this topic comes up, usually by economists (wouldn’t you know it?) or other type of macro-data analysts, it’s been debated.

   It is not that economic upturns are good for your health either, but, tell a man who lives in the inner city, who just lost his job during an economic down-turn or a recession that the hard-times he’s enduring are good for his health and see what he says.

   It’s sort of middle-class research by profs who’s trying to make a name for themselves in publish or perish academia.

2. # Jason Welkeron 12 May 2008 at 8:03 am

   Ann, thanks… good points too! I agree the research is a bit ridiculous, and of course you’re right that on a micro level a recession is not good for individuals who suffer from it. But as economists do, I think the researcher here is speaking in terms of aggregates, on a macro level, and showing a correlation between economic downturns and overall improvements in health. This is certainly no consolation to someone who’s lost their job and can’t pay their mortgage… simply an observation of the macro effect of recessions on the nation’s overall health.

   Thanks again for the comment!

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