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Labor Force Participation of Mexican Elderly: The Importance of Health

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  • Edwin van Gameren

    (El Colegio de México, A. C.)

Abstract

The determinants of the labor force participation of people in Mexico aged 50 and over are analyzed using data of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). In particular we study the importance of health in the participation decision, taking into account the potential endogeneity of health. The results indicate that a better health causes a stronger attachment to the labor market. We find no clear evidence that employment affects health, but it cannot be ruled out that the effects of bad labor circumstances and justification eliminate each other. There are indications that self-assessed health does not capture all relevant aspects of health. For policy decisions the direct importance of financial circumstances could be more relevant than the role of health.

Suggested Citation

  • Edwin van Gameren, 2008. "Labor Force Participation of Mexican Elderly: The Importance of Health," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 23(1), pages 89-127.
    • Handle: RePEc:emx:esteco:v:23:y:2008:i:1:p:89-127
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Robert Duval Hernández & Pedro Orraca, 2008. "A Cohort Analysis of Labor Participation in Mexico, 1987-2008," Working papers DTE 440, CIDE, División de Economía.
    2. Durfari Velandia Naranjo & Edwin Gameren, 2016. "Precautionary Savings in Mexico: Evidence From the Mexican Health and Aging Study," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 62(2), pages 334-361, June.
    3. Duval Hernández, Robert & Orraca Romano, Pedro, 2009. "A Cohort Analysis of Labor Participation in Mexico, 1987-2009," IZA Discussion Papers 4371, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Murrugarra, Edmundo, 2011. "Employability and productivity among older workers : apolicy framework and evidence from Latin America," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 63230, The World Bank.
    5. Martha Alicia Yánez Contreras & Cristian David Maldonado Pedroza & Katherin Paola Del Risco Serje, 2016. "Participación laboral de la población de 60 anos de edad o más en Colombia," Revista de Economía del Caribe 14790, Universidad del Norte.
    6. Stabridis, Omar & van Gameren, Edwin, 2018. "Exposure to firewood: Consequences for health and labor force participation in Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 382-395.
    7. Edwin van Gameren & Durfari Velandia Naranjo, 2015. "Working and Caring: The Simultaneous Decision of Labor Force Participation and Informal Elderly and Child Support Activities in Mexico," Latin American Journal of Economics-formerly Cuadernos de Economía, Instituto de Economía. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile., vol. 52(2), pages 117-148, November.
    8. Ajantha, Sisira Kumara & Tharaka, Sameera Senanayaka, 2012. "The Employment Status of the Elderly in Sri Lanka: Patterns and Determinants," MPRA Paper 42977, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 30 Nov 2012.
    9. V. P. Sanitha & J. K. Parida & I. C. Awasthi, 2019. "Health Conditions, Medication and Hospitalisation Preferences of Elderly in Kerala," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 13(3), pages 308-324, December.
    10. Edwin van Gameren, 2010. "Labor force participation by the elderly in Mexico," Serie documentos de trabajo del Centro de Estudios Económicos 2010-06, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos.
    11. Ebaidalla Mahjoub Ebaidalla & Mohammed Elhaj Mustafa Ali, 2018. "Chronic Illness and Labor Market Participation in Arab Countries: Evidence from Egypt and Tunisia," Working Papers 1229, Economic Research Forum, revised 10 Oct 2018.
    12. Edwin Van Gameren & Durfari Velandia Naranjo, 2012. "Working and caring. The simultaneous decision of labor force participation, informal long-term care and childcare services in Mexico," Serie documentos de trabajo del Centro de Estudios Económicos 2012-16, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos.
    13. Bakhtin, Maxim & Aleksandrova, Ekaterina, 2018. "Health and labor force participation of elderly Russians," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 49, pages 5-29.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labor force participation; health status; pensions; elderly;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions

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