OddFile: Labor Day Deathchex Edition

Image by AMagill via Flickr

I’ve mostly been staying off the grid on this somewhat overcast Labor Day. But here’s an odd one: Paychecks kill. At least according to a study entitled: “The Short-Term Mortality Consequences of Income Receipt.”

To the studymobile!:

Many studies find that households increase their consumption after the receipt of expected income payments, a result inconsistent with the life-cycle/permanent income hypothesis. Consumption can increase adverse health events, such as traffic accidents, heart attacks and strokes. In this paper, we examine the short-term mortality consequences of income receipt. We find that mortality increases following the arrival of monthly Social Security payments, regular wage payments for military personnel, the 2001 tax rebates, and Alaska Permanent Fund dividend payments. The increase in short-run mortality is large, potentially eliminating some of the protective benefits of additional income.

Good thing you’re hanging out today and not earning money. That stuff can kill you.

HT: Marginal Revolution

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