Research Seminar Series on “Global Challenges” – Josef Sigurdsson (Stockholm University), 23rd May 2024 at 12:15 p.m. (CET)

Josef Sigurdsson (Stockholm University) on “The Economic Burden of Burnout” jointly organised by Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano, BAFFI and the Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods (University of Milan) in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Economia, Metodi Quantitativi e Strategie di Impresa (Università Milano Bicocca), the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Gestionale (Politecnico di Milano) and the Department of Economics of the University of Insubria.

The seminar will be held on Thursday, 23rd May 2024 at 12:15 p.m. (CET) in a hybrid format:

– DEMM seminar room, via Conservatorio 7, 2nd floor;
– Via Teams, through this link. 

Abstract:

We study the economic consequences of stress-related occupational illnesses (burnout) using Swedish administrative data. Using a mover design, we find that high-burnout firms and stressful occupations universally raise burnout risk yet disproportionately impact low-stress-tolerance workers. Workers who burn out endure permanent earnings losses regardless of gender – while women are three times more susceptible. Repercussions of burnout extend to the worker’s family, reducing spousal income and children’s educational achievements. Through sick leaves, earnings scars, and spillovers, burnout reduced the national labor income by 2.3% in 2019. We demonstrate how estimated costs, combined with a prediction model incorporating workers’ self-reported stress, can improve the design of prevention programs.