Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to focus on non-poor households that during the Great Recession experienced economic stress (ES). That is, whose economic comfort was reduced taking into account their previous living standards. The paper seeks to determine how the crisis has affected this extensive (and key) social group. Design/methodology/approach The analysis has been performed in a dynamic way. The non-poor households ES situation and its changes are studied throughout the period 2008-2016 by taking the four-year intervals provided by the longitudinal Spanish Living Conditions Survey. The authors discuss and select the circumstances to determine whether ES has occurred. To identify which variables determine the probability of suffering ES the authors use a standard logit model. Findings The main variable is the tenure status of the dwelling: property with a mortgage or rented multiply the risk of ES by up to 3.5 times. ES falls as the household’s work intensity increases. However, an improvement in the employment situation cannot be associated with a reduction in ES probability. The main socio-demographic variables behave as predicted: woman householder, grow in the number of household members and bad health increase the risk of ES, and the higher the level of education of the householder, the lower the risk. Originality/value There are very few studies regarding the people above the poverty line. Exploring and analyzing the factors determining the sensitivity of the largest part of the population to the crisis is very relevant, as the pace of the economic recovery depends largely on them.
Highlights
It is well-known that economic crises are not neutral in terms of the income distribution
The weight of these characteristics is determined according to the allocation of households to groups of either non-poor households, which do not suffer from economic stress (ES), households which do, and, households, which have fallen into monetary poverty during the ECVL period
This research focusses on households that during the Great Recession experienced economic stress but without crossing the poverty line
Summary
It is well-known that economic crises are not neutral in terms of the income distribution. In Spain, a review of the studies on poverty prior to the crisis can be found in Arranz and García-Serrano (2009), while an extensive synthesis of the more recent contributions has been conducted by Prieto-Alaiz et al (2016). The above-mentioned studies discuss the situation and measurement of poverty in Spain, addressing different topics related to individuals who live in households suffering from monetary poverty. Exploring and analysing the factors determining the sensitivity of the largest part of the population to the economic crisis is very relevant, as the pace of the economic recovery depends largely on this population group[3] This analysis of the circumstances of non-poor households has not been performed statically but in a dynamic way, which constitutes the second contribution of this paper.
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