Histories of Perceived Job Insecurity and Psychological Distress Among Older U.S. Adults

Work Experience and Mental Health from Adolescence to Mid-Life

The etiology of psychological differences among those who pursue distinct lines of work have long been of scholarly interest. A prevalent early and continuing assumption is that experiences on the job influence psychological development; contemporary analysts focus on dimensions indicative of mental health. Still, such work-related psychological differences may instead be attributable to selection processes to the extent that individuals can choose, or be selected to, different lines of work, based on their prior characteristics. Whereas much attention has been directed to employment per se as a key determinant of mental health, we consider work status (employed or not) and hours of work, as well as work quality, including both intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions among those who are employed. We also investigate differences in the effects of work experiences on mental health in distinct phases of the work career. Drawing on 11 waves of longitudinal data obtained from a cohort of 9th grade students followed prospectively to age 45-46 (54% female; 73% white), we examine whether key psychological dimensions indicative of mental health (mastery, depressive affect, and self-esteem) change in response to employment and to particular experiences on the job. The findings, based on a fixed effects modeling strategy, indicate that observed psychological differences related to employment and work quality are not attributable to stable individual proclivities. The evidence suggests that mental health is responsive to changing experiences at work from mid-adolescence to mid-life.

The Roles of Adolescent Occupational Expectations and Preparation in Adult Suicide and Drug Poisoning Deaths within a Shifting Labor Market

Research suggests that economic declines contribute to mortality risks from suicide and drug poisoning, but how the economy impacts individuals' risks of these deaths has been challenging to specify. Building on recent theoretical advances, we investigate how adolescent occupational expectations and preparation contribute to suicide and drug poisoning deaths in a shifting economy. We use High School and Beyond data linked to adult mortality records for men that were exposed to a decline in labor market share and wages in predominantly blue-collar occupations during early adulthood. We find that adolescent men who expected these occupations had increased risks of suicide and drug poisoning death as adults net of educational and occupational attainment in early adulthood. Family background and occupational preparation are risk factors for death by drug poisoning but not suicide. Our findings improve our understanding of how labor market uncertainty shapes individuals' vulnerability to suicide and drug poisoning death.

Job Insecurity and Intention to Quit: The Role of Psychological Distress and Resistance to Change in the UAE Hotel Industry

Hotel organizations today are in a state of constant change due to high competition, the emergence of pandemics, and cyclical economic crises. Hospitality employees are currently affected by job insecurity. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of job insecurity on intention to quit among hospitality workers, integrating the mediating effect of psychological distress and resistance to change and their mutual relationship. A total of 312 surveys were completed in four four- and five-star hotels in the UAE (Dubai and Sharjah). The SmartPLS 4 software was used to test the hypotheses in a mediation model with the bootstrapping method. The results showed that all of the direct links were positive and significant, and mediating relationships were confirmed. This study found that job insecurity predicts intention to quit through psychological distress and resistance to change acting as mediators, and these factors themselves also impact significantly on intention to quit. Resistance to change is impacted significantly by job insecurity and psychological distress, which suggests that a deeper approach to employees' resistance to change should be taken, especially when conducting performance appraisals in the hotel industry, by searching for its roots and aiming to minimize employees' intention to quit.

Does persistent precarious employment affect health outcomes among working age adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of persistent precarious employment (lasting 12+ months) on the health of working age adults, compared with more stable employment. Persistent precarity reflects a shift towards less secure forms of employment and may be particularly important for health.

METHODS

Nine databases were systematically searched to identify quantitative studies that assessed the relationship between persistent precarious employment and health outcomes. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using an adaptation of the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool. Narrative synthesis and random effects meta-analysis were conducted. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

Of 12 940 records screened, 50 studies met the inclusion criteria and 29 were included in meta-analyses. RoB was generally high (n=18). The most reported outcome domain was mental health; with evidence also reported relating to general health, physical health,and health behaviours. Of GRADE assessed outcomes, persistent precarious employment was associated with increased risk of poor self-rated health (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.14, I2=80%) and mental health symptoms (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.70, I2=65%). The association with all-cause mortality was imprecisely estimated (OR 1.10, 5% CI 0.91 to 1.33, I2=73%). There was very low GRADE certainty across all outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Persistent precarious employment is associated with poorer health, particularly for outcomes with short time lags, though associations are small and causality is highly uncertain. Further research using more robust methods is needed but given potential health harms of persistent precarious employment, exploration of precautionary labour regulations and employment policies is warranted.

Unemployment Insurance and Opioid Overdose Mortality in the United States

Over the past two decades, opioid overdose deaths contributed to the dramatic rise in all-cause mortality among non-Hispanic Whites. To date, efforts among scholars to understand the role of local area labor market conditions on opioid overdose mortality have led to mixed results. We argue the reason for these disparate findings is scholars have not considered the moderating effects of income support policies such as unemployment insurance. The present study leverages two sources of variation-county mass layoffs and changes in the generosity of state unemployment insurance benefits-to investigate if unemployment benefits moderate the relationship between job loss and county opioid overdose death rates. Our difference-in-differences estimation strategy reveals that the harmful effects of job loss on opioid overdose mortality decline with increasing state unemployment insurance benefit levels. These findings suggest that social policy in the form of income transfers played a crucial role in disrupting the link between job loss and opioid overdose mortality.

Precarious Work in Midlife: Long-Term Implications for the Health and Mortality of Women and Men

Although prior research documents adverse health consequences of precarious work, we know less about how chronic exposure to precarious work in midlife shapes health trajectories among aging adults. The present study uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to consider how histories of precarious work in later midlife (ages 50-65) shape trajectories of health and mortality risk after age 65. Results show that greater exposure to unemployment, job insecurity, and insufficient work hours in midlife predicts more chronic conditions and functional limitations after age 65. Characteristics of precarious work also predict increased mortality risk in later life. Findings indicate few gender differences in linkages between precarious work and health; however, women are more likely than men to experience job insecurity throughout midlife. Because precarious work is unlikely to abate, results suggest the need to reduce the health consequences of working in precarious jobs.

Job transitions and mental health outcomes among US adults aged 55 and older during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives

Adults around retirement age are especially vulnerable to the effects of the recent economic downturn associated with COVID-19. This study investigated disturbances to working life and mental health among Americans aged ≥55 during early months of the pandemic.

Methods

Using data from the nation-wide COVID-19 Coping Study (N=6,264), we examined rates of job loss, furloughs, hour/income reductions, and work-from-home, along with unchanged work status, by age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and occupation. We next described sources of worry by job transition group and tested the adjusted associations of COVID-19-related job transitions with life satisfaction, loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms.

Results

Most job loss occurred among respondents under age 65 and those without college degrees. Job loss and reduced hours/income were more common among Hispanics compared to other racial/ethnic groups, and work-from-home transitions were most common among respondents with high educational attainment and jobs in government- and education-related occupations. Workers who lost their jobs had the lowest life satisfaction and the highest loneliness and depressive symptoms, followed by workers who were furloughed and workers with reduced hours/income. Work-from-home was associated with more anxiety than unchanged work.

Discussion

COVID-19-related job transitions are detrimental to mental health, even when they might keep workers safe. These results enhance our understanding of the potentially long-term mental health effects of social and economic aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the need for economic and mental health support for aging Americans.

The Impact of Mandate Contract and Self-Employment on Workers' Health-Evidence from Poland

The purpose of the study is to analyze the correlations between two clearly defined forms of non-standard employment (self-employment and mandate contract) and workers' health. The study also addressed such variables as gender, age, length of service, and the reason for employment (voluntary vs. non-voluntary). The research was carried out in Poland in 2020 using the CATI method (a telephone interviewing technique), and it covered a sample of 200 workers (100 self-employed and 100 working under a mandate contract). Most of the respondents declared that their form of employment did not affect their health. However, the statistical analysis showed significant differences in health status between the self-employed and those working on a mandate contract. Self-employed respondents experienced mental health impacts more often, whereas those working under a mandate contract more frequently declared that their physical health was affected. The length of service was only important for mental health, having a negative impact on it. The respondents' age and gender turned out to be statistically insignificant, which is in contradiction to many previous research findings. The inability to choose one's form of employment resulted in worse physical health. These findings demonstrate the importance of certain variables that were not prioritized in previous studies and emphasize the need to clearly define what non-standard and precarious forms of employment are, as well as revealing new correlations between the studied categories and providing directions for further research.

THOSE LEFT BEHIND: Socioeconomic Predictors and Social Mediators of Psychological Distress among Working-age African Americans in a Post-industrial City

While the socioeconomic status (SES)-psychological distress gradient is well-documented in the social science literature, less attention has been devoted to how this relationship varies within sociodemographic subgroups. I contribute to this small but growing literature by first examining the relationship between multiple dimensions of SES and two measures of psychological distress (depression and anxiety) among working-aged African Americans. I then test whether three social mediators explain the SES-psychological distress relationship, and whether gender modifies these associations and/or the social mediators that shape them. To address these aims, I analyze two waves of population-representative data from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (N=685). Data were collected between 2008 and 2010 in the wake of the Great Recession. I utilize structural equation modeling with latent variables to assess these relationships, and test indirect and conditional effects to detect the presence of mediation and/or moderation, respectively. Findings revealed associations between higher total household income and lower levels of depression/anxiety, as well as unemployment and increased depression/anxiety among working age African Americans. Furthermore, higher educational attainment was associated with reduced anxiety, but not depression, in this population. Gender moderated these findings such that unemployment was associated with higher levels of depression/anxiety among women but not men. I also found that trauma mediated the relationship between unemployment and depression/anxiety as well as educational attainment and anxiety. Gender, however, moderated the association between unemployment and depression/anxiety via traumatic events such that the relationship was stronger among women than men. Collectively, these findings contribute to our limited understanding of African Americans' mental health and underscore the importance of how both socioeconomic forces and life course experiences with traumatic events contribute to poor mental health among this population.

Non-Permanent Employment and Employees’ Health in the Context of Sustainable HRM with a Focus on Poland

This study is focused on the assumption that the analyses focused on sustainable human resource management (HRM) should include the problem of unstable forms of employment. Reference was also made to Poland, the country where the share of unstable forms of employment is the highest in the European Union. The authors based their findings on the literature and the data published, i.e., by Eurostat, OECD and Statistics Poland, accompanied by CSR reports. Insecure forms of employment have negative impact on employees’ health, primarily regarding their mental health. Statistically significant correlations were found between the expectation rate of possible job loss and non-standard employment variables, and the rate of reporting exposure to risk factors that affect mental wellbeing and precarious employment rates. However, conducting statistical analyses at the macro level is associated with limitations resulting from leaving out many important factors characteristic of the given countries and affecting the presented data. Current guidelines, relevant to reporting the use of non-standard forms of employment by enterprises, are inconsistent. Companies voluntarily demonstrate the scope of using non-permanent forms of employment and not referring to the issue of employees’ choice of a given type of employment and employees’ health. Future research projects should be focused on developing a comprehensive, coherent and universal tool allowing for an assessment of the implementation level of sustainable HRM ideas in an organization, including standardized reporting of non-permanent employment and employees’ health, and making comparisons not only between organizations, but also between countries.

Men's Income Trajectories and Physical and Mental Health at Midlife

Using time-varying, prospectively measured income in a nationally representative sample of Baby-Boomer men (the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth - 1979 [NLSY79]), we identify eight group-based trajectories of income between ages 25-49 and use multinomial treatment models to describe the associations between group-based income trajectories and mental and physical health at midlife. We find remarkable rigidity in income trajectories: less than 25% of our sample experiences significant upward or downward mobility between the ages of 25 to 49 and most who move remain or move into poverty. Men's physical and mental health at age fifty is strongly associated with their income trajectories, and some upwardly mobile men achieve the same physical and mental health as the highest earning men after adjusting for selection. The worse physical and mental health of men on other income trajectories is largely attributable to their early life disadvantages, health behaviors, and cumulative work experiences.