This study uses aggregate panel data on 96 French départements for the period from 1982 to 2002 to investigate the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and mortality, controlling for local area and time fixed effects. Consistent with research using data from other countries, we find...

Background. Studies have consistently found evidence of an association between unemployment and all-cause mortality. The association appears to follow a gradient, with more or longer unemployment spells associated with higher mortality rates than fewer or shorter (or no) unemployment spells. The...