Adverse Employment Histories, Later Health Functioning and National Labor Market Policies: European Findings Based on Life-History Data From SHARE and ELSA

Abstract

Objectives: We investigate associations between adverse employment histories over an extended time period and health functioning in later life, and explore whether national labor market policies moderate the association.

Methods: We use harmonized life-history data from the Gateway to Global Aging Data on two European studies (SHARE and ELSA) linked to health beyond age 50 (men = 11,621; women = 10,999). Adverse employment histories consist of precarious, discontinued, and disadvantaged careers between age 25 and 50, and we use depressive symptoms, grip strength, and verbal memory as outcomes.

Results: Adverse employment histories between age 25 and 50 are associated with poor health functioning later in life, particularly repeated periods of unemployment, involuntary job losses, weak labor market ties, and disadvantaged occupational positions. Associations remain consistent after adjusting for age, partnership history, education and employment situation, and after excluding those with poor health prior to or during working life. We find no variations of the associations by national labor market policies.

Discussion: Our study calls for increased intervention efforts to improve working conditions at early career stages. Despite the importance in shaping employment histories, the role of national policies in modifying the impact of employment on health is less clear.

Keywords: Employment histories; Health functioning; Life course; Work stress.