Scientific Presentations

LabTalks@­SocialDemography

Department Social Demography
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), Rostock, Germany, June 17, 2025

1:00 PM: Talk with Alina Sorgner - Are Senior Entrepreneurs Happier? The Role of Income and Health

Abstract

Senior self-employed enjoy higher levels of life satisfaction than senior paid employees and retirees, yet the reasons behind this pattern remain unclear. In this study, we theorize that the higher life satisfaction of senior self-employed largely stems from their higher income and better health. This proposition is confirmed in the empirical analysis, which is based on the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). We show that, after controlling for income and health, retirees exhibit even greater life satisfaction than their self-employed counterparts. Various robustness checks of alternative definitions of senior entrepreneurs and different employment types, and accounting for differences in leisure activities further support this general pattern. We conclude by discussing implications for research, policy, and practitioners.

Room 400 and Zoom

Please register via email (office-myrskyla@demogr.mpg.de) for online participation. The Zoom link will be sent to you afterwards.

LabTalk, June, 17th from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Rostock time)
 

1:45 PM: Talk with Mariia Vasiakina - The Glass is Half Empty: The Role of Automatable Jobs in Shaping Drinking Behaviors in Russia