NBER Working Papers by Robert Haveman

Numerous studies of the determinants of children's attainments rely on observations of circumstances and events at age 14 as proxies for information over the entire childhood period. Using 21 years of panel data from the Michigan PSID on 825 children who were 14-16 years old in 1979, we evaluate the effects of using truncated or "window" (e.g., age 14) information in models of the determinants of attainments (e.g., education, nonmarital fertility) of young adults. Correlations between truncated and full-childhood variables are presented, along with 5 tests of the reliability of estimates based on "window" measurements. The tests are designed to evaluate the differential effects of data accuracy, multiple occurrence of events, duration of circumstances, and the timing of events or circumsta...

In this paper, we investigate the complex interrelationships among worktime, wages and health identified in the Grossman model of the demand for health. We specify a 3-equation simultaneous model designed to capture the tune dependent character of these interrelationships, and estimate the model using 8 years of panel data on 882 males aged 22 to 71. The model is estimated using Hansen's generalized methods of moments imposing a weak set of conditions on the error term covariance structure. Using our data, we estimate simpler models with more restrictive assumptions commonly found in the literature, and find substantial differences between these estimates and those from the simultaneous model. For example, the positive relationship between worktime and health found in other studies disapp...

We propose an index of "true disability" by treating disability status as an unobservable phenomenon which is both causally related to a number of exogenous characteristics of an individual and correlated with a number of observed indicators of health, impairment and qualifications for employment. First, we define true disability and distinguish it from related concepts. We then discuss the importance of an objective and reliable measure of disability for research on the determinants of behavior. Next, we present the specification of our structural model for estimating true disability as a latent variable. Finally, we report the results of our estimation in a simple model of Labor force participation, and compare the effect of using the constructed index and a self-reported disability meas...

This paper deals with the effects of labor and transfer incomes as determinants of older women's labor force participation. It examines the responsiveness of women aged 48-62 to the level of income available from both work and public transfer programs when deciding between work and nonwork options. The main focus is on whether the availability and generosity of disability-related transfers affects the labor supply of these women. A maximum-likelihood model is estimated separately for heads of household and wives. The results suggest income opportunities have significant effect only on the work choices of wives. The responsiveness to the availability and generosity of public transfers is largest among older, disabled women who have low expected earnings.