Life Satisfaction, Pro-Activity, and Employment

Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), this paper investigates how pro-active time-use (e.g., in sports/arts/socializing) relates to subjective well-being of unemployed and their probability finding a new job. Allowing for variety socio-demographic -economic observed characteristics, we find that pro-activity is negatively associated with loss upon unemployment. That is, negative unemployment shock on mitigated through various stress-reducing activities including, particular, art participation, socializing, going trips, visiting church. We also returning labor market later positively proactivity during period. The results are robust checks including estimators, measures, individual personality characteristics which can correlate activities.