Does an Iprovement in Work-Family Balance Increase Life Satisfaction? Evidence from 27 European Coutries

Anna Matysiak, Warsaw School of Economics
Ariane Pailhé, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Anne Solaz, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

Documented findings identify a wide range of institutional, economic and ecological determinants of life satisfaction. The impact of tensions between work and family on life satisfaction has not been widely tested, however. This paper analyses whether the experience of work-family tensions lowers the satisfaction with life. Our investigation of the relationship between work-family tensions and life satisfaction illustrates that, “net” of the child status, the employed are more satisfied with life than the non-employed as long as the work-family tensions they experience are not too strong. The feeling of an excessive workload either by professional or family obligations leads to a substantial reduction in life satisfaction and women who experience work-family conflict tend to be less satisfied with life than housewives.