Discounting Arduousness

There is a growing literature considering deviations from standard constant discounting. In this paper we combine time-inconsistent (non-constant discounting) preferences with recursive utilities. We apply this setting to the demand side properties of what we call arduous goods. The rational for a non-standard discounting is that production and consumption are not separable in these kinds of goods. The necessary effort implies that individuals discount consumption of these goods in a special way: both biased preferences and dynamic recursive adjustment are present. In this way, willingness to make an effort, modeled as a discount factor, becomes endogenous.time-consistent solution, arduous and easy goods, non-constant discounting, continuous-time, recursive utility

Health Care and Female Employment: A Potential Conflict?. CEPS ENEPRI Occasional Papers No. 6, 1 April 2004

This paper presents a discussion of some general conceptual and empirical issues of increasing importance for the analysis of the consequences of ageing: the potential trade-off between ensuring informal health care for the elderly and at the same time achieving an increase in the employment participation ratio for women. It first provides an overview of some general issues in health economics and then turns to some theoretical and empirical investigations of these issues. The future of health care for the elderly is, as demonstrated above, a most important aspect of the prospects for health care in general. The policy issues, however, do not present themselves in the same manner for all member states. In fact, the forward path of old-age care will be greatly determined by the starting position with respect to the level of formal and informal care, the present state of affairs as far as female labour market participation is concerned and the existing patterns of financing of old-age care

Health Care and Female Employment: A Potential Conflict?

This paper presents a discussion of some general conceptual and empirical issues of increasing importance for the analysis of the consequences of ageing: the potential trade-off between ensuring informal health care for the elderly and at the same time achieving an increase in the employment participation ratio for women. It first provides an overview of some general issues in health economics and then turns to some theoretical and empirical investigations of these issues. The future of health care for the elderly is, as demonstrated above, a most important aspect of the prospects for health care in general. The policy issues, however, do not present themselves in the same manner for all member states. In fact, the forward path of old-age care will be greatly determined by the starting position with respect to the level of formal and informal care, the present state of affairs as far as female labour market participation is concerned and the existing patterns of financing of old-age care.