Educational differences in the influence of health on early work exit among older workers.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research has shown that poor physical and mental health are important risk factors for early work exit. We examined potential differences in this association in older workers (50+) across educational levels. METHODS: Coordinated analyses were carried out in longitudinal data sets from four European countries: the Netherlands (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam), Denmark (Danish Longitudinal Study of Ageing), England (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing) and Germany (German Ageing Survey). The effect of poor self-rated health (SRH), functional limitations and depression on different types of early work exit (early retirement, economic inactivity, disability and unemployment) was examined using Cox regression analysis. We examined educational differences in these effects by testing interaction terms. RESULTS: Poor physical and mental health were more common among the lower educated. Poor SRH, functional limitations, and depression were all associated with a higher risk of early work exit. These health effects were strongest for the disability exit routes (poor SRH: HRs 5.77 to 8.14; functional limitations: HRs 6.65 to 10.42; depression: HRs 3.30 to 5.56). In the Netherlands (functional limitations) and England (functional limitations and SRH), effects were stronger in the lower educated. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of health problems, that is, poor SRH, functional limitations and depression, was higher in the lower educated workers. All three health indicators increase the risk of early work exit. In some countries, health effects on early exit were stronger in the lower educated. Thus, lower educated older workers are an important target group for health policy and intervention.

Educational inequalities in health after work exit: the role of work characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Educational inequalities in health have been widely reported. A low educational level is associated with more adverse working conditions. Working conditions, in turn, are associated with health and there is evidence that this association remains after work exit. Because many countries are raising the statutory retirement age, lower educated workers have to spend more years working under adverse conditions. Therefore, educational health inequalities may increase in the future. This study examined (1) whether there were educational differences over time in health after work exit and (2) whether work characteristics mediate these educational inequalities in health. METHODS: Data from five prospective cohort studies were used: The Netherlands (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam), Denmark (Danish Longitudinal Study of Aging), England (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing), Germany (German Aging Study), and Finland (Finnish Longitudinal Study on Municipal Employees). In each dataset we used Generalized Estimating Equations to examine the relationship between education and self-rated health after work exit with a maximum follow-up of 15 years and possible mediation of work characteristics, including physical demands, psychosocial demands, autonomy, and variation in activities. RESULTS: The low educated reported significantly poorer health after work exit than the higher educated. Lower educated workers had a higher risk of high physical demands and a lower risk of high psychosocial demands, high variation in tasks, and high autonomy at work, compared to higher educated workers. These work characteristics were found to be mediators of the relationship between education and health after work exit, consistent across countries. CONCLUSION: Educational inequalities in health are still present after work exit. If workers are to spend an extended part of their lives at work due to an increase in the statutory retirement age, these health inequalities may increase. Improving working conditions will likely reduce these inequalities in health.

The Retention of Older Employees and Core Work Activities: Evidence From Denmark.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Retention of older employees in the labor market is crucial to cope with aging populations. Retention of older employees can appear in different forms, such as phased retirement, bridge jobs, career development, or health promotion. However, little is known about how the offering of these retention strategies may vary across workplaces with different core work activities because the opportunities to implement different types of retention strategies are preconditioned by differences in the economic and labor market climate. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The study utilizes data from a survey conducted among Danish workplaces in 2018, which is linked to administrative register data to conduct Karlson-Holm-Breen-corrected logistic regression models. The study distinguishes among production workplaces, service and welfare workplaces, and information workplaces. RESULTS: Phased retirement is most prevalent in service and welfare workplaces, whereas job bridging is most prevalent in both service and welfare and production workplaces. Career development and health promotion strategies are least prevalent in production workplaces. These retention differences between workplaces with different core work activities are in most cases explained by differences in trade union influence, physical working demands, and knowledge intensity. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Although the type of retention strategy offered in the workplace largely matches the core work activity within the workplace, particularly production workplaces could feasibly take more advantage of using career development or health promotion strategies because the employees of these workplaces are more likely to retire early due to poor health and physical working conditions.