LABOR AND LIFE

Data from the Life, Liberty, and Happiness survey conducted by East Carolina University’s Center for Survey Research has confirmed that employment plays a key role in Americans’ perceptions of personal well-being.

With Labor Day approaching, a new report on data from the survey results also reveals a correlation between union participation and better economic well-being.

“The effects of unemployment run much deeper than money, affecting Americans’ outlook on the future, social connectedness and relationships with others, and sense of self-worth, confidence and satisfaction with life,” said Dr. Peter Francia, director of the ECU Center for Survey Research. “The nation’s current and near-historic low unemployment rate is, therefore, not only good news for the economy, but also for the personal well-being of millions of Americans.”

The ECU Life, Liberty and Happiness Project is a nationwide survey of more than 1,100 Americans conducted in May and June by the Center for Survey Research at ECU using mail, internet and phone surveys to reach adults across the country. Results are weighted to be representative of the U.S. population.

The project’s purpose is to highlight shared experiences among Americans as well as identify differences.

The new report shows:

• The employed are significantly more likely than the unemployed to be optimistic about future life expectancy and the value of hard work.
• The unemployed are significantly more likely than the employed and others to lack companionship, to feel left out and to feel isolated from others.
• The employed are significantly more likely than the unemployed to express satisfaction with their lives and to answer that they are able to cope with their problems.
• The unemployed are also more likely than the employed and others to be depressed, pessimistic about the future, and to score lower on other items related to personal well-being.
• Americans living in union households are more likely to report owning their homes than other Americans.
• Housing affordability is less likely to be a challenge for Americans living in union households than other Americans.
• Americans who live in union households are more satisfied with their financial situation than other Americans.

Survey findings include:

• 42 percent of employed Americans believe they will live longer than their parents, compared to 27 percent among the unemployed.
• 41 percent of employed Americans report feeling isolated, compared to 68 percent among the unemployed.
• Only 15 percent of unemployed Americans report being satisfied with their lives, compared to 35 percent of employed Americans.
• 67 percent of Americans living in union households own their homes, compared to 52 percent in non-union households.

Peter Francia