The joy of working

Abstract

Work is the main time consuming activity of individuals. Traditional Labor Economic theory has always considered work as a necessary homogeneous evil while more recent theoretical frameworks have also incorporated non-pecuniary factors to the return to work (being mainly focused in safety, working environment, etc). However, does anything else matter? Ceteris Paribus, is it the same for an animal-loving person to work as a butcher instead of being a veterinarian? This paper tries to incorporate other factors to the basic labor supply model, considering work as a non-homogeneous bad and exploring different practical consequences this approach may have.

Los individuos pasan gran parte del día trabajando. La Economía Laboral tradicional ha considerado al trabajo como un mal necesario mientras que análisis más recientes han incorporado variables no-pecuniarias al retorno del trabajo (tales como seguridad, ambiente de trabajo, etc.). No obstante, ¿habrá otros factores relevantes? El presente trata de incorporar otras variables al modelo básico de oferta de empleo, considerando al trabajo un mal heterogéneo y explorando algunas extensiones prácticas que se desprenden de este enfoque.