Exposure to World War II and Its Labor Market Consequences over the Life Cycle

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Braun, Sebastian Till; Stuhler, Jan
• 署名单位: University of Bayreuth; Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0507
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022050725101113
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: military service; educational-attainment; force participation; social-security; SUPPLY EVIDENCE; HEALTH; IMPACT; outcomes; combat; immigration

摘要

With 70 million dead, World War II remains the most devastating conflict in history. Among the survivors, millions were displaced, returned maimed from the battlefield, or endured years of captivity. We examine the effects of such war exposures on labor market careers, showing that they often become apparent only at certain life stages. While war injuries reduced employment in old age, former prisoners of war prolonged their time in the workforce before retiring. Many displaced workers, especially women, never returned to employment. These responses align with standard life-cycle theory and thus likely hold relevance for other conflicts.