In this study we use the German Socio-Economic Panel to evaluate the impact of leisure sport participation on the unemployment duration. The empirical literature on sport participation has focused on labor market outcomes and job quality while the impact of this activity on job search has not been studied. Sports participation fosters socialization which, through the networking effect, accelerates the exit from unemployment to employment. Furthermore, sporty people are expected to have valuable non-cognitive skills (self-confidence, persistence, team spirit). In addition, they tend to be healthier. These hypotheses are tested using survival analysis and taking into account unobservable heterogeneity. Finally, the results remain robust even if we account for other activities with similar positive effects.
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