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Friday the 13th: The Empirics of Bad Luck
Author(s) -
Fidrmuc Jan,
Tena J. D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
kyklos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1467-6435
pISSN - 0023-5962
DOI - 10.1111/kykl.12085
Subject(s) - luck , economics , demographic economics , demography , sociology , philosophy , theology
Summary We use the UK Labor Force survey to investigate whether the socio‐economic outcomes of people born on the 13 th day of the month, and of those born on Friday the 13 th , differ from the outcomes of people born on more auspicious days. In many European countries, including the UK, number 13 is considered unlucky and Friday the 13 th is seen as an especially unlucky day. We find little evidence that people born on the 13 th or those born on Friday the 13 th are significantly less likely to be employed, earn lower wages or that they are more likely to stay unmarried compared to people born on other days.