The cash-for-care reform and immigrant fertility: fewer babies of poorer families?

Cash-for care policies are contested in many contexts, as they represent an incentive for childrearing over work that may reduce labour market participation, especially among immigrant women. From 1 July 2017, immigrants (both the mother and the father) from outside the European Economic Area must have at least 5 years of residence in Norway to be entitled to cash-for-care benefits. Previous research indicates that this reform did not lead to increased labour market participation of mothers and fathers treated by the reform. In this article, we examine whether the changes in the cash-forcare benefits policy have resulted in a substantive change in income and if the reform had an impact on the childbearing behaviour among those affected by the reform. Our descriptive analyses indicate no change in employment rates and household income. To detect possible changes in fertility, we employ a Difference-in-Difference approach, in which we compare the treatment group with four comparison groups. Overall, we find no substantial effect of the cash-for-care reform on childbearing behaviour.This work was funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusio

The effect of retirement on mortality. Event history analyses and quasi-experimental evidence from Norway

On average, people who retire earlier tend to die sooner. This is partly because poor health is an important reason for early retirement. But does retirement affect mortality? A number of studies have investigated the relationship between retirement and mortality. While the majority of studies find earlier retirement to be associated with higher mortality, there is no consensus about the causal relationship between retirement and mortality. In this thesis, I first investigate the association between retirement and mortality in two full Norwegian birth cohorts (1906 and 1907). Event history analyses show that those who have retired have a higher mortality risk than those who are the same age but have not retired. This difference increases with time since retirement, even when disability pensioners are excluded. I then turn to a pension reform that came into effect in 1973. This reform lowered the eligibility age for old age pensions in the national insurance scheme from 70 to 67 years. I treat this reform as a natural experiment whereby some birth cohorts were allowed to retire up to three years earlier than other cohorts. This allows me to estimate the effect of being eligible for retirement and the effect of actually retiring earlier. For these analyses, I sample five full Norwegian birth cohorts born between 1902 and 1906. I then exploit the exogenous variation in retirement eligibility age that stems from this reform by employing difference-in-differences, individual fixed effects and instrumental variables methods. The main advantage of these approaches is that the estimates can be given a causal interpretation. There are several other advantages to studying the 1973 reform. More or less the entire mortality history of the affected cohorts can be studied, and the reform affected most of the working population. Additionally, mortality was higher in the 1970s among people in their late sixties than among younger groups affected by later reforms. The results show that retirement increased mortality in 1970s Norway. Retiring one year earlier increased the probability of dying before age 80 by 1.5 percentage points among men and 0.5 percentage points among women. Among men, the effect was larger among those with low education, while the opposite was true for women. These effects appear to be driven by a relatively short-term increase in mortality following retirement. In sum, these results are in line with the view of retirement as a stressful life event and with theories predicting retirement to have short-term negative health consequences. The results can thus be taken to support the notion that postponing retirement may entail some health benefits

The Effect of Retirement on Male Mortality. Quasi-experimental Evidence from Norway

On average, people who retire earlier die sooner, partly because poor health is an important reason for early retirement. Several theories also predict that retirement is detrimental to health and increases mortality, and that retirement should affect people in different occupations differently. Yet, there is apparently no consensus about the causal relationship between retirement and mortality. We treat a Norwegian pension reform that lowered retirement eligibility age by 3 years in 1973 as a natural experiment. The reform affected virtually the entire elderly working population. We estimate the long-term effect of retirement age and the short-term effect of retirement eligibility using instrumental variables and difference-in-differences methods. The results show that neither earlier retirement nor retirement eligibility affect male mortality substantially. Analyses by educational level and occupational groups show no occupational or educational differences in the effect of retirement on mortality. We also argue that the 1973 reform serves as a critical case, a situation where we should be able to identify an effect if there were one. In other words, this study provides strong evidence that retirement does not have a causal effect on male mortality

Framtidens eldre i by og bygd. Befolkningsframskrivinger, sosiodemografiske mønstre og helse

Hvordan er den eldre befolkningen i Norge om 20-25 år fram i tid? Har de god eller dårlig helse, hvor bor de, hva slags utdanning har de? Dette og flere områder er beskrevet i en ny forskningsrapport. Rapporten beskriver den geografiske fordelingen og variasjonen i den eldre befolkningen i dag, og gjør antakelser om hvordan dette kan tenkes å utvikle seg framover mot 2040. Antakelsene er basert på observerte trender, hovedsakelig fra de siste ti år, og Statistisk sentralbyrås befolkningsframskrivinger. Dersom framskrivingen viser seg å reflektere den faktiske utviklingen kan dette få konsekvenser for kommunens ressurstilgang og -behov. Ressurssterke eldre med høy utdanning Analysene viser at etter hvert som yngre generasjoner trer inn i de eldres rekker, vil utdanningsnivået blant eldre øke. Utdanning er en god indikator på hvor ressurssterk man er, vi kan derfor forvente en klart mer ressurssterk eldre befolkning i framtiden. Dette kan innebære at framtidens eldre kan komme til å være mer selvstendige og i bedre stand til å håndtere enkelte utfordringer i hverdagen. Eldre har i gjennomsnitt bedre økonomi enn yngre mennesker, men det er mer usikkert om disse forskjellene vil vedvare. De eldres økonomiske ressurser vil også trolig være ujevnt fordelt i landet, med de implikasjonene det kan tenkes å få for framtidige eldres økonomiske handlingsrom. Flere sykdommer, men takler sykdom bedre Hvordan eldre har det i framtiden vil avhenge mye av utviklingen i helsen deres. Rapporten skisserer tre mulige framtidsscenarioer. Basert på utviklingen i helsen de siste ti årene kan se ut til at eldre til nå ikke har fått færre år med sykdommer enn før – kanskje snarere flere. Likevel ser det ut til at de klarer seg bedre med disse sykdommene enn tidligere. Dette kan henge sammen med bedre medisinsk behandling, bedrede fysiske omgivelser og teknologi som tilrettelegger for at eldre kan klare seg selv, og at eldre i dag har mer utdanning enn eldre hadde før i tiden. Store geografiske forskjeller i antall eldre Rapporten viser hvordan enkelte geografiske områder kan få en relativt beskjeden vekst i andelen eldre framover, og således være i en fordelaktig situasjon med hensyn til viktige sosiodemografiske kjennetegn i befolkningen, som utdanning, inntekt, gjeld, formue, innvandringskjennetegn, familiesituasjon og helse. Andre områder vil derimot kunne få en større økning i andelen eldre, og situasjonen på disse områdene kan by på utfordringer for kommunene. Rapporten er laget av Statistisk sentralbyrå på oppdrag fra Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet

Immigration and the decline in adolescent binge drinking

Background Adolescent alcohol consumption has fallen in most Western countries over the past two decades, while immigrants and children of immigrants from low-consumption countries constitute a growing proportion of teenagers in many Western nations. We investigate the extent to which immigrants and children of immigrants have contributed to the decline in adolescent heavy episodic drinking in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Methods We use repeated cross-sectional survey data on adolescents in grades 9-11 in Oslo (aged around 14–16, N = 54,474) from 1996 to 2018. We use data on heavy episodic drinking/intoxication in the past 12 months (dichotomized), immigrant background, sex and grade. We decompose the trend into components attributable to changes in the demographic composition of the adolescent population (by immigrant background, grade and sex), and to changes in drinking patterns within different groups. Confidence intervals (CIs) are obtained by bootstrap resampling. Results The proportion of adolescents with immigrant backgrounds increased from 21% to 35% over the time span. The proportion reporting having been intoxicated fell from 42% to 25%. Most of the decline stems from reduced heavy episodic drinking in the majority population, accounting for 70.8% of the reduction (95% CI: 67.5–74.2). The increased proportion of adolescents with an immigrant background accounts for 21.4% of the decline (95% CI: 19.2–23.8). Conclusions An increasing proportion of immigrants and children of immigrants with low alcohol consumption explains one-fifth of the decline in the prevalence of adolescent heavy episodic drinking in Oslo

Immigration and the decline in adolescent binge drinking

Background: Adolescent alcohol consumption has fallen in most Western countries over the past two decades, while immigrants and children of immigrants from low-consumption countries constitute a growing proportion of teenagers in many Western nations. We investigate the extent to which immigrants and children of immigrants have contributed to the decline in adolescent heavy episodic drinking in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Methods: We use repeated cross-sectional survey data on adolescents in grades 9-11 in Oslo (aged around 14–16, N = 54,474) from 1996 to 2018. We use data on heavy episodic drinking/intoxication in the past 12 months (dichotomized), immigrant background, sex and grade. We decompose the trend into components attributable to changes in the demographic composition of the adolescent population (by immigrant background, grade and sex), and to changes in drinking patterns within different groups. Confidence intervals (CIs) are obtained by bootstrap resampling. Results: The proportion of adolescents with immigrant backgrounds increased from 21% to 35% over the time span. The proportion reporting having been intoxicated fell from 42% to 25%. Most of the decline stems from reduced heavy episodic drinking in the majority population, accounting for 70.8% of the reduction (95% CI: 67.5–74.2). The increased proportion of adolescents with an immigrant background accounts for 21.4% of the decline (95% CI: 19.2–23.8). Conclusions: An increasing proportion of immigrants and children of immigrants with low alcohol consumption explains one-fifth of the decline in the prevalence of adolescent heavy episodic drinking in Oslo

Intelligence, alcohol consumption, and adverse consequences: A study of young Norwegian men

Research suggests that intelligence is positively related to alcohol consumption. However, some studies of people born around 1950, particularly from Sweden, have reported that higher intelligence is associated with lower consumption and fewer alcohol-related problems. We investigated the relationships between intelligence, alcohol consumption, and adverse consequences of drinking in young men from Norway (a neighboring Scandinavian country) born in the late 1970s. Methods: This analysis was based on the population-based Young in Norway Longitudinal Study. Our sample included young men who had been followed from their mid-teens until their late 20s (n = 1126). Measures included self-reported alcohol consumption/intoxication, alcohol use disorders (AUDIT), and a scale measuring adverse consequences of drinking. Controls included family background, parental bonding, and parents’ and peers’ drinking. Intelligence test scores—scaled in 9 “stanines” (population mean of 5 and standard deviation of 2)—were taken from conscription assessment. Results: Men with higher intelligence scores reported average drinking frequency and slightly fewer adverse consequences in their early 20s. In their late 20s, they reported more frequent drinking than men with lower intelligence scores (0.30 more occasions per week, per stanine, age adjusted; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0. 49). Intelligence was not associated with intoxication frequency at any age and did not moderate the relationships between drinking frequency and adverse consequences. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the relationship between intelligence and drinking frequency is age dependent. Discrepancies with earlier findings from Sweden may be driven by changes in drinking patterns

Intelligence, alcohol consumption, and adverse consequences. A study of young Norwegian men

Aims: Research suggests that intelligence is positively related to alcohol consumption. However, some studies of people born around 1950, particularly from Sweden, have reported that higher intelligence is associated with lower consumption and fewer alcohol-related problems. We investigated the relationships between intelligence, alcohol consumption, and adverse consequences of drinking in young men from Norway (a neighboring Scandinavian country) born in the late 1970s. Methods: This analysis was based on the population-based Young in Norway Longitudinal Study. Our sample included young men who had been followed from their mid-teens until their late 20s ( n = 1126). Measures included self-reported alcohol consumption/intoxication, alcohol use disorders (AUDIT), and a scale measuring adverse consequences of drinking. Controls included family background, parental bonding, and parents’ and peers’ drinking. Intelligence test scores—scaled in 9 “stanines” (population mean of 5 and standard deviation of 2)—were taken from conscription assessment. Results: Men with higher intelligence scores reported average drinking frequency and slightly fewer adverse consequences in their early 20s. In their late 20s, they reported more frequent drinking than men with lower intelligence scores (0.30 more occasions per week, per stanine, age adjusted; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0. 49). Intelligence was not associated with intoxication frequency at any age and did not moderate the relationships between drinking frequency and adverse consequences. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the relationship between intelligence and drinking frequency is age dependent. Discrepancies with earlier findings from Sweden may be driven by changes in drinking patterns

Socio-economic segregation in European cities : A comparative study of Brussels, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo and Stockholm

The purpose of this study is to compare socioeconomic segregation patterns and levels in Brussels, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo, and Stockholm with uniform measurements. Previous research has been hampered by conceptual and methodological shortcomings. We use harmonized datasets containing geocoded indicators based on a nearest-neighbors approach. Our analyses offer an unprecedented comparison of patterns and levels of socio-spatial inequalities in European capitals at multiple scales. Using maps, segregation indices and percentile plots, we find that for all cities, the segregation of the rich is much stronger than the segregation of the poor. Macro-scale poverty segregation is most prominent in Stockholm and Brussels, and quite low in Amsterdam, while macro-scale affluence segregation is most pronounced in Oslo. At micro-scales, Brussels and Stockholm stand out with very high local poverty concentrations, indicating high levels of polarization. We interpret differences in the light of spatial inequalities, welfare regimes, housing systems, migration and area-based interventions.Residential segregation in five European countries - A comparative study using individualized scalable neighbourhood

Socio-economic Segregation in European Cities : A Comparative Study of Brussels, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo and Stockholm

The purpose of this study is to compare socioeconomic segregation patterns and levels in Brussels, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo, and Stockholm with uniform measurements. Socioeconomic segregation is a persistent reality in European cities that may have negative effects on social cohesion and individual outcomes. Previous research has been hampered by conceptual and methodological shortcomings, preventing comparable studies of segregation. We use harmonized datasets from 2011 containing geocoded indicators based on a nearest-neighbors approach, allowing for comparable measures of socio-economic segregation at multiple scales. Our analyses offer an unprecedented comparison of patterns and levels of socio-spatial inequalities in European capitals. Using maps, segregation indices and percentile plots, we find that for all cities, the level of segregation by affluence is much larger than that of poverty. Macro-scale poverty segregation is most prominent in Stockholm and Brussels, and quite low in Amsterdam. At micro- scales, Brussels and Stockholm stand out with very high concentrations of poverty at the local level. In such poor neighborhoods, there are hardly any non-poor, indicating high levels of polarization. Macro-scale segregation by affluence is most pronounced in Oslo. Differences in levels and patterns are interpreted in the light of their particular welfare regimes, housing systems, area-based policies and migration dynamics