Abstract

This study investigates the subjective well-being of immigrants and natives in the United Kingdom (UK) during the Covid-19 pandemic. A novel aspect of this research is that we exploit the quasi-experimental nature of the pandemic to analyse the potential causal impact of neighbourhood embeddedness in mitigating the adverse shock on subjective well-being. We proxy subjective well-being by life satisfaction and consider neighbourly support and psychological sense of community as indicators of neighbourhood embeddedness. The findings show that the pandemic negatively impacted the life satisfaction of immigrants more than that of natives. The analysis demonstrates that high neighbourhood embeddedness had a significant protective impact on the well-being of immigrants, whereas the opposite was observed for natives. Further analysis reveals that the adverse impact for natives can be attributed to their tendency to comply with Covid-19 social distancing rules, while the results for immigrants remain qualitatively consistent irrespective of their compliance or non-compliance behaviour. The overall findings in this research imply that community-based interventions should be aimed at balancing the promotion of social networking with adherence to health guidelines in a way that minimises well-being trade-offs during a health crisis. 

Abstract

Introduction: Existing research has examined immigrants' subjective wellbeing and economic integration but less is known about whether multiple dimensions of social integration jointly account for differences in subjective wellbeing between immigrants and natives in the UK. This paper examines whether British identity, community involvement, neighborhood attachment and UK-based social networks help explain this disparity. Methods: The analysis uses waves 3 and 6 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study and estimates correlated random effects models for two outcomes: life satisfaction and GHQ-based mental health. The models first estimate the immigrant-native gap, then add demographic characteristics and economic integration controls, before introducing the selected social integration measures. Results: Immigrants report lower life satisfaction and mental health than natives, and these differences remain after demographic and economic integration controls are included. Adding social integration measures substantially reduces the remaining disparity. British identity, neighborhood attachment and UK-based social networks have the clearest explanatory relevance, while community involvement plays a more limited role. Discussion: The findings suggest that differences in subjective wellbeing between immigrants and natives in the UK are associated not only with economic integration, but also with social connection, local embeddedness and subjective belonging. Integration should therefore be understood as a multidimensional process, although the results are associational and should not be interpreted causally. 

Abstract

This study examines regional differences in dysfunctional presenteeism in the United Kingdom, with particular attention to Wales’s position relative to other UK regions. Dysfunctional presenteeism is defined as health related impairment in work performance among employees who remain in work.

Using Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study, the paper measures dysfunctional presenteeism through indicators of work performance impairment associated with physical limitations, emotional difficulties and pain. The analysis assesses whether these forms of health related work impairment vary systematically across UK regions, and whether Wales differs from other parts of the UK after accounting for differences in workforce composition, personal characteristics, employment characteristics, and long term physical and mental health.

The findings show that employees resident in Wales report higher levels of dysfunctional presenteeism than employees in most English regions, Scotland and Northern Ireland. These differences remain after adjustment, suggesting that Wales’s higher level of health related work impairment among employees is not fully explained by observed compositional, employment or health differences. The paper contributes to productivity and labour market debates by highlighting presenteeism as an additional channel through which health may matter for regional economic performance.