Time for blood

Healthcare Economist notes that the recession decreased the number of blood donations, and wonders why that is. Recession means more unemployed; when you're unemployed, the opportunity cost of your time is lower, so if you're someone with any inclination to donating blood at all you should be more willing to do it now.

I think it makes perfect sense that blood donations decreased because donating blood is something you're much more likely to do when there's other people watching you (and remembering if you did or did not participate in the recent blood drive). Donating blood is less of an individual imperative and more of a social norm; and it's much harder to break a social norm when the society is actually watching. In that respect, it's a bit like voting. I'm too lazy to look for actual statistics right now, but I bet that employed voters turn out better than the unemployed.

Unfortunately, the current drop in blood donations can't be taken as evidence for my "social pressure" argument because I don't think it's true that the opportunity cost of the act is lower for the unemployed. Lots of employers (especially government agencies) provide ample comp-time for donating blood and, at least to me, a three-hour break is much more valuable when it's a break in a work day rather than a break in a game of FIFA 2009 or something.

Someone should do an experiment.