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Educational Inequalities in Exit from Paid Employment among Dutch Workers: The Influence of Health, Lifestyle and Work

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  • Suzan J W Robroek
  • Anne Rongen
  • Coos H Arts
  • Ferdy W H Otten
  • Alex Burdorf
  • Merel Schuring

Abstract

Background: Individuals with lower socioeconomic status are at increased risk of involuntary exit from paid employment. To give sound advice for primary prevention in the workforce, insight is needed into the role of mediating factors between socioeconomic status and labour force participation. Therefore, it is aimed to investigate the influence of health status, lifestyle-related factors and work characteristics on educational differences in exit from paid employment. Methods: 14,708 Dutch employees participated in a ten-year follow-up study during 1999–2008. At baseline, education, self-perceived health, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, sports, BMI) and psychosocial (demands, control, rewards) and physical work characteristics were measured by questionnaire. Employment status was ascertained monthly based on tax records. The relation between education, health, lifestyle, work-characteristics and exit from paid employment through disability benefits, unemployment, early retirement and economic inactivity was investigated by competing risks regression analyses. The mediating effects of these factors on educational differences in exit from paid employment were tested using a stepwise approach. Results: Lower educated workers were more likely to exit paid employment through disability benefits (SHR:1.84), unemployment (SHR:1.74), and economic inactivity (SHR:1.53) but not due to early retirement (SHR:0.92). Poor or moderate health, an unhealthy lifestyle, and unfavourable work characteristics were associated with disability benefits and unemployment, and an unhealthy lifestyle with economic inactivity. Educational differences in disability benefits were explained for 40% by health, 31% by lifestyle, and 12% by work characteristics. For economic inactivity and unemployment, up to 14% and 21% of the educational differences could be explained, particularly by lifestyle-related factors. Conclusions: There are educational differences in exit from paid employment, which are partly mediated by health, lifestyle and work characteristics, particularly for disability benefits. Health promotion and improving working conditions seem important measures to maintain a productive workforce, particularly among workers with a low education.

Suggested Citation

  • Suzan J W Robroek & Anne Rongen & Coos H Arts & Ferdy W H Otten & Alex Burdorf & Merel Schuring, 2015. "Educational Inequalities in Exit from Paid Employment among Dutch Workers: The Influence of Health, Lifestyle and Work," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0134867
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134867
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    2. Ranu Sewdas & Sietske J Tamminga & Cécile R L Boot & Swenne G van den Heuvel & Angela G de Boer & Allard J van der Beek, 2018. "Differences in self-rated health and work ability between self-employed workers and employees: Results from a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-12, November.
    3. Shengchao Yu & Kacie Seil & Junaid Maqsood, 2019. "Impact of Health on Early Retirement and Post-Retirement Income Loss among Survivors of the 11 September 2001 World Trade Center Disaster," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-12, April.
    4. Struffolino, Emanuela & Zaccaria, Daniele, 2020. "Did You Realize your Preferences for Early Retirement? Insights on the Agency-Within-Structure Mechanism across Welfare Regimes," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 33-58.
    5. Peter Browne & Ewan Carr & Maria Fleischmann & Baowen Xue & Stephen A. Stansfeld, 2019. "The relationship between workplace psychosocial environment and retirement intentions and actual retirement: a systematic review," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 73-82, March.
    6. Anna Amilon & Mona Larsen, 2023. "Increasing retirement ages in Denmark: Do changes in gender, education, employment status and health matter?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Mäcken, Jana & Präg, Patrick & Hess, Moritz & Ellwardt, Lea, 2020. "Educational Inequalities in Labor Market Exit of Older Workers in 15 European Countries," SocArXiv gdtcp, Center for Open Science.
    8. Lisa Toczek & Richard Peter, 2023. "Investigating the influence of work-related stress on early labour market exit: the role of health," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Ashley McAllister & Theo Bodin & Henrik Brønnum-Hansen & Lisa Harber-Aschan & Ben Barr & Lee Bentley & Qing Liao & Natasja Koitzsch Jensen & Ingelise Andersen & Wen-Hao Chen & Karsten Thielen & Camero, 2020. "Inequalities in extending working lives beyond age 60 in Canada, Denmark, Sweden and England—By gender, level of education and health," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-12, August.
    10. Lisa Harber-Aschan & Wen-Hao Chen & Ashley McAllister & Natasja Koitzsch Jensen & Karsten Thielen & Ingelise Andersen & Finn Diderichsen & Ben Barr & Bo Burström, 2020. "The impact of longstanding illness and common mental disorder on competing employment exits routes in older working age: A longitudinal data-linkage study in Sweden," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, February.

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