1007-P: Employment and Work Conditions among U.S. Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Persons with diabetes mellitus (DM) have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared with those without diabetes. How the pandemic has affected the employment and work conditions of persons with DM is unknown. Using 2018-2021 National Health Interview Survey data, we examined changes in the likelihood of being employed, having paid sick leave, and changes in work hours per week before and after the pandemic among US adults aged 18-64 years with DM using Chi-squared or t-tests. We also examined the likelihood of having social distance measures in place at work and working closer than 6 feet to other people during the pandemic. We compared the changes in the gap of these measures between persons with and without DM before and after the pandemic using multivariable linear regression. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, persons (men and women, and those with and without DM) worked longer hours and were more likely to have paid sick leave after the pandemic. Changes in the gap between persons with and without diabetes in those measures were not statistically significant (see table). Men with DM were more likely to work closer than 6 feet to others than men without DM. The COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to have affected labor market outcomes for persons with DM relative to those without DM. Future research may confirm this finding and explore reasons to explain the identified patterns. Disclosure S.Tang: None. Y.Chen: None. P.Zhang: None.