收入差距、努力指数与居民主观幸福感

Income Inequality,Effort Index and Resident Subjective Well-being in China

本文基于2018年中国家庭追踪调查数据(CFPS),运用Ordered Probit、IV Probit、2SLS和OLS模型研究收入差距、收入差距主观评价对居民主观幸福感的影响,通过构造努力指数探讨了收入差距主要来源之一的努力因素对居民幸福感的影响。其结果表明:(1)社会客观收入差距越高、居民对社会收入差距主观评价越高,居民主观幸福感越低。(2)收入差距扩大会损害城乡居民主观幸福感,城市居民对收入差距的主观评价会通过“负向预期”作用机制削弱其对未来生活的信心,损害当下幸福感。(3)努力指数对城乡、不同收入阶层居民主观幸福感的影响存在异质性。努力指数对最低收入组居民的主观幸福感影响不显著,一是因为受教育程度较低、劳动技能不足等原因,努力程度的提高并不能有效提高这类居民收入水平;二是对于部分努力程度较低的最低收入居民来说,政府转移支付可以在一定程度上抵消没有劳动报酬所产生的负幸福效应。

Based on CFPS household survey data in 2018,this paper uses the Ordered Probit,IV Probit,2SLS and OLS models to study the impact and mechanism of income gap and subjective evaluation of income gap on residents’ subjective well-being. By constructing an effort index,this paper discusses the effect of effort,one of the main sources of income gap,on residents’ subjective well-being. The results show that:(1)The higher the objective income gap and the higher the residents’ subjective evaluation of the income gap,the lower their subjective wellbeing.(2)The widening of the income gap will damage the subjective well-being of urban and rural residents. The subjective evaluation of urban residents on the income gap will weaken their confidence in future life through the “negative expectation” mechanism,and damage their current subjective well-being.(3)There is heterogeneity in the influence of the effort index on the subjective well-being of residents at different income levels in both urban and rural areas. The effect of the effort index on the subjective well-being of the lowest income group is insignificant. First,they have low education and skills so that it is difficult for them to raise income and happiness even if they work harder. Second,for some poor people with low effort levels,government transfer payments can partially offset the negative happiness effect of no labor remuneration.