Unemployment benefit II, unemployment and health

"Objectives: A multitude of studies has established a negative relationship between unemployment and health. With the 'Hartz-reforms', unemployment benefit II was introduced in 2005. Whether unemployment benefit II receipt has an impact, additional to unemployment, on health, is investigated. Methods: For this study data of the panel study 'Labour market and social security' is used. The sample consists out of 14.282 respondents aged 18 to 65, who participated up to five years from 2006 to 2011. Measures of subjective health by social status were analyzed using Fixed Effect panel models. Results: Unemployment is negatively and significantly associated with subjective health. A weaker negative association is found for the receipt of unemployment benefit II. Separated by gender, different patterns of associations emerge. For men, an additive association for unemployment and unemployment benefit II is found. For women effect of unemployment alone is sometimes significantly, stronger than the combined effect of unemployment and the receipt of unemployment benefit II. The differences are smaller, after restricting the analysis sample on unemployed and employed. For mediator variables like income and partnership no consistent associations with subjective health are found. Discussion: Unemployment and unemployment benefit II receipt should be used as separate factors when analyzing subjective health. Employment is positively associated with health, even if the employment provides insufficient resources for maintaining an appropriate standard of living and unemployment benefit II is needed to provide for the basic needs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))