The partner penalty: Exploring tourism jobs and life satisfaction relationships

Davide Arioldi and Eva Vroegop

EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, 2026, vol. 7, issue 1, No 100221, 10 pages

Abstract: This study investigates how tourism employment affects life satisfaction - not only for workers themselves, but also for their partners - using European Social Survey data from 30 countries (2002−2022). Tourism workers report lower life satisfaction, which is largely attributable to socioeconomic factors. However, partners of tourism workers experience an even larger reduction in life satisfaction - a 'partner penalty' exceeding the estimated effect of divorce. This life satisfaction penalty for partners is concentrated among men and families with children, suggesting that gender norms and caregiving responsibilities play a central role. Notably, dual-tourism couples do not exhibit this penalty, consistent with shared occupational understanding. Proxy indicators suggest time-based work-family conflict, including disrupted family time and reduced social interactions, as a plausible mechanism.

Keywords: Tourism; Hospitality; Workforce; Satisfaction with life; Partners; Work-family conflict; Labor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 I31 J16 J22 L83 Z31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:espost:342682

DOI: 10.1016/j.annale.2026.100221

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