People who consume alcohol earn significantly more at their jobs than non-drinkers, according to a US study that highlighted "social capital" gained from drinking. The study published in the Journal of Labor Research Thursday concluded that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay. "Social drinking builds social capital," said Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University and co-author of the study with fellow researcher Bethany Peters. "Social drinkers are out networking, building relationships, and adding contacts to their BlackBerries that result in bigger paychecks." The authors acknowledged their study, funded by the Reason Foundation, contradicted research released in 2000 by the Harvard School of Public Health. "We created our hypothesis through casual observation and examination of scholarly accounts," the authors said. "Drinkers typically tend to be more social than abstainers." The researchers said their empirical survey backed up the theory, and said the most likely explanation is that drinkers have a wider range of social contacts that help provide better job and business opportunities. "Drinkers may be able to socialize more with clients and co-workers, giving drinkers an advantage in important relationships," the researchers said. "Drinking may also provide individuals with opportunities to learn people, business, and social skills." They also said these conclusions provide arguments against policies aimed at curbing alcohol use on university campuses and public venues. "Not only do anti-alcohol policies reduce drinkers' fun, but they may also decrease earnings," the study said.

美国一项以“饮酒积聚社会资本”为主题的研究表明，饮酒人士挣的钱要比不喝酒的人多很多。 这篇研究论文于本周四在《劳动力研究》期刊上发表，研究结果表明，喝酒的人比不喝酒的人挣钱多10％到14％，而且在社交场合喝酒的人能多挣7％。 美国圣何赛州立大学的经济学教授爱德华·斯丁汉姆和贝瑟尼·彼得斯共同撰写了这篇论文。爱德华教授说：“在社交场合喝酒能积聚社会资本”。 他说：“社交饮士们通常善于进行人际交往，这会给他们带来额外收入。” 论文的撰写者说，此项由"理智基金会"资助的研究与哈佛大学公共健康学院2000年公布的一项研究结果正相反。 他们说：“我们的假设主要基于平时的观察和对一些学术报告的研究。” “喝酒的人通常比不喝酒的人善于交际。” 研究人员说，他们的实证性调查可为这个理论提供支持，此外，对这个问题最合理的解释是，饮酒人士的社会交往较为广泛，这有助于他们得到更好的工作和更多的商业机会。 研究人员说：“饮酒人士可能更容易和他们的客户和同事建立关系，在掌握重要人脉关系方面有一定优势。” “此外，喝酒还可为了解他人、掌握行业动向和发展社交技巧提供机会。” 研究者说，这些结论还可为人们抵制禁止在大学和公共场所饮酒的法令提供支持。 研究报告中说：“禁酒令不仅扫了饮酒人士们的兴致，而且还有可能会减少收入”。