Economic Upturns are good for Your Heart but Watch out for Accidents: A Study on Swedish Regional Data 1976-2005

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between the regional unemployment rate and total and cause-specific mortality in Sweden during 1976-2005. Overall mortality is unrelated to changes in the unemployment rate, while the biggest cause of death (heart disease) decreases when the unemployment rate decreases. At the same time other accidents, including job-related accidents, increase when the unemployment rate decreases. Swedish evidence provides no support for the US research findings that short-term increases in the unemployment rate are bad for your health in general.