Does Public Sector Employment Matter for Subjective Well-being?: The Case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Studies of subjective well-being (SWB) have increased in recent years. However, there is limited information on how employment in the public sector affects SWB. Using representative World Values Survey (WVS) data from Kazakhstan, this study analyzes how working in the public sector affects SWB and whether financial satisfaction mediates this relationship. The findings demonstrate that although a positive relationship exists between working in the public sector and financial satisfaction, working in the public sector does not affect SWB. In other words, public sector employment does not matter for SWB, although it matters for financial satisfaction. These findings offer insights into studies of SWB, particularly for less studied contexts, such as Central Asia.