Labour market implications of thyroid dysfunctions.

This paper aims to shed some light on the labour market implications of thyroid disease. Undetected hypothyroidism has adverse effects on wages for female workers,thus widening the existing gender wage gap. However, once female individuals are diagnosed (and therefore assumed to be treated) with hypothyroidism, they experience wage gains and have a higher employment probability. In relation to other labour market outcomes, thyroid disease does not appear to play a significant role on individuals' labour force participation decision and their working hours. Results suggest that productivity gains may drive the improvement in wages.

Economic insecurity: A socioeconomic determinant of mental health.

Economic insecurity is an emerging topic that is increasingly relevant to the labour markets of developed economies. This paper uses data from the British Household Panel Survey to assess the causal effect of various aspects of economic insecurity on mental health in the UK. The results support the idea that economic insecurity is an emerging socioeconomic determinant of mental health, although the size of the effect varies across measures of insecurity. In particular, perceived future risks are more damaging to mental health than realised volatility, insecurity is more damaging for men, and the negative effect of insecurity is constant throughout the income distribution. Importantly, these changes in mental health are experienced without future unemployment necessarily occurring.