Work status affects wellbeing through choice and social context
Work, Wellbeing, and Choice: Empirical Lessons for AI Futures
Computers and Society
Summary
People’s happiness is connected to whether they work or not, but it depends on why they are not working and what else they do instead. The authors looked at studies on different groups like retirees, unemployed people, and lottery winners to find out how leaving work affects wellbeing. They found that feeling in control, having other meaningful activities, and cultural supports all influence how happy someone feels without paid work. These insights can help guide policies as AI changes job availability in the future.
What this means in practice
- •For policy makers: Design social and economic policies that support wellbeing by considering voluntary work exit, alternative activities, and cultural context in AI-driven job changes.
- •For human resources teams: Develop workplace programs that provide employees with choices and alternative meaningful engagements to enhance wellbeing during workforce transitions caused by automation.
A survey. It maps existing work.
Authors
Stephanie C. Y. Chan, Adam Bales, Katherine L. Hermann, Iason Gabriel
Abstract
Advances in AI-driven automation have raised questions about how humans might find wellbeing in a world where paid employment is less necessary or less available than before. Paid work has been variously characterized as both a contributor and an impediment to human wellbeing. What is already known about the relationship between paid work and wellbeing? What factors influence wellbeing among people who do not work---or who do not need to work? And how might these factors bear upon prospective AI-induced economic transformations? To help provide empirical grounding for these questions, we survey the psychological, sociological, and economic literature that investigates the relationship between wellbeing and work. We draw on evidence from multiple populations, including the unemployed, retirees, lottery winners, and financially dependent spouses. This comparative review draws from studies across OECD countries, China, India, and Gulf states. We identify three key factors that mediate the relationship between work status and wellbeing: (1) agency and choice---whether the exit from work is voluntary or involuntary, as well as long-term agency; (2) the availability of alternative sources of work's latent benefits---such as volunteering, hobbies, or state-provisioned employment; and (3) social and systemic context---including cultural norms around work and the robustness of social safety nets. We draw on these three factors to derive specific implications for different AI automation scenarios, connecting the empirical evidence to concrete policy considerations.