Educational differences in labor market marginalization among mature-aged working men: the contribution of early health behaviors, previous employment histories, and poor mental health

Abstract

Background Social inequalities in labor force participation are well established, but the causes of these inequalities are not fully understood. The present study aims to investigate the association between educational qualification and labor market marginalization (LMM) among mature-aged working men and to examine to what extent the association can be explained by risk factors over the life course. Method The study was based on a cohort of men born between 1949 and 1951 who were examined for Swedish military service in 1969/70 and employed in 2000 (n = 41,685). Data on educational qualification was obtained in 2000 and information on the outcome of LMM (unemployment, sickness absence, and disability pension) was obtained between 2001 and 2008. Information on early health behaviors, cognitive ability, previous employment histories, and mental health was collected from conscription examinations and nationwide registers. Results Evidence of a graded association between years of education and LMM was found. In the crude model, compared to men with the highest level of education men with less than 12 years of schooling had more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of health-related LMM and more than a 1.5-fold increased risk of non-health-related LMM. Risk factors measured across the life course explained a large part of the association between education and health-related LMM (33–61%) and non-health-related LMM (13–58%). Conclusions Educational differences remained regarding LMM among mature-aged workers, even after considering several important risk factors measured across the life course. Previous health problems and disrupted employment histories explained the largest part of the associations.

Precarious employment at a young age and labor-market marginalization during middle-adulthood: A register-linked cohort study

“…Adapted from previous research, LMM was defined using four different measures: long-term unemployed, precarious employment, long-term sickness absence, and disability pension ( 23 , 24 ). Long-term unemployment and precarious employment were defined in the same way as the exposure variables.…”

“…Unemployment, precarious employment, sickness absence, or receiving a disability pension can all be considered types of LMM as the individual is more distant from the labor force ( 23 , 24 ). However, research within this area is scarce; one Nordic study found a positive association between precarious employment and self-reported sickness absence in the general working-age population ( 25 ).…”

Multinomial Logistic Regression to Estimate and Predict the Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities in Chile

“…Inequalities in terms of labor market participation have been described yet little has been known about the underlying causes of such inequality [11]. Thern et al attempted to describe, in the case of Sweden, how education affects employability for marginalized groups as well as non-marginalized groups at work.…”

Level of education and sustainable return to work among long-term sick-listed workers with depression: a register-based cohort study (The Norwegian GP-DEP Study)

“…bACkgrOund Workers with common mental disorders (CMDs) like depression are at higher risk of work disability and long-term and recurrent sickness absence, [1][2][3] indicating a lower likelihood of sustainable return to work (SRTW) for that segment of the working population. 4 Research on sick-listed workers with CMDs describes common barriers to RTW, such as job strain, comorbidity, previous sickness absence, higher age and low education, [5][6][7] while factors such as positive RTW expectation, self-efficacy, high work ability, job control, decision control, and higher education seemingly facilitate RTW.…”