PopDigests

The decision to pick up and move is a complex one. Migrating involves both direct costs — the move itself — and indirect, opportunity costs, or the foregone benefits of staying put. Moving a household exacerbates this complexity. A new study by Sergi Vidal, Francisco Perales, Philipp M. Lersch and Maria Brandén confirms that this is especially true for dual-earner couples, couples in which both members work outside the home. In principle, this means expanding female labour force participation and shrinking earnings gaps could restrict family moves in the future.

Better health is not often the first consequence of unemployment benefits that comes to mind. New research suggests it shouldn’t be the last, though. In a recent study, Jonathan Cylus and Mauricio Avendano find that those out of work who received unemployment benefits were healthier than comparable unemployed people who did not. Good health is a fundamental policy goal everywhere, so, like any policy area, the health dimension of unemployment benefits deserves some attention.

The share of overall mortality attributable to alcohol is higher in Europe than elsewhere in the world because of the high prevalence of alcohol consumption. There are, however, substantial differences across countries and between the sexes in levels of alcohol-related mortality.

Part rite of passage, part badge of privilege. Proof of Europe and strategy for adapting to a globalising economy. Studying abroad is many things to many people. But is it effective?

A close look at the ageing process betrays a complex interaction of demographic policies and factors. Old age care arrangements are a window into that interaction. But what does this mean when the ageing process also affects the migrant population?

If education is the key to a brighter future, then keeping kids in school is essential. It is obvious, but not always easy. The EU recognises dropping out of school as a "new social risk", a hazard for both growth and cohesion, and has accordingly made reducing it to less than 10% a Europe 2020 priority.

Long before we had the numbers, it was assumed more education among women would increase childlessness among them. More education means more autonomy and/or more to lose, the arguments go. Closer study in recent years has revealed a more complicated relationship.

Separation can strongly impact the environment in which a child grows up. In some cases, it can have the positive consequence of reducing the amount of parental conflict a child would experience. In other cases, parental separation can contribute to an increasing disadvantage for children due to a loss of financial resources or spending less time with a parent who moved out.

Numerous studies have confirmed that higher educated women are more likely to be involved in the labour market. However, the strength of education effects on women’s employment can be shown to vary across contexts. In a recent analysis, Nadia Steiber, Caroline Berghammer, and Barbara Haas analyze how and why education effects on women’s employment vary across countries and how these effects are modified by the presence and age of children.

Despite the recent expansion of education, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are still less likely to attend university than children from wealthier families. This persisting inequality in educational attainment led social scientists to explore a range of possible factors behind these unequal opportunities. Given that in many countries it is very common for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to live without at least one parent, family structure has often been held responsible for explaining part of the inequality of opportunities between socioeconomic groups.