Gender and life-cycle differentials in the Impact of Health employment in Jamaica - abstract

ABSTRACT

The impact of health on labour market work is analyzed using the 1989 Jamaican Survey of Living Conditions data set. In contrast to most economic studies which focus on retirement, we investigated this relationship for individuals aged 15-80 years old and find that poor (self reported) general health has a significant effect on both the entry and retirement decision. Although women reported a higher incidence of poor health, the impact of ill-health is larger for males than for females. Results are robust to an alternative measure of health status based on activities of daily living. These latter estimates indicate that while any limitations affect the employment behaviour of males, only severe limitations affect the behaviour of females. (Au)