Abstract
BackgroundSocial inequalities in labor force participation are well established, but the causes of these inequalities are not fully understood. The present study aims to investigate the association between educational qualification and labor market marginalization (LMM) among mature-aged working men and to examine to what extent the association can be explained by risk factors over the life course.MethodThe study was based on a cohort of men born between 1949 and 1951 who were examined for Swedish military service in 1969/70 and employed in 2000 (n = 41,685). Data on educational qualification was obtained in 2000 and information on the outcome of LMM (unemployment, sickness absence, and disability pension) was obtained between 2001 and 2008. Information on early health behaviors, cognitive ability, previous employment histories, and mental health was collected from conscription examinations and nationwide registers.ResultsEvidence of a graded association between years of education and LMM was found. In the crude model, compared to men with the highest level of education men with less than 12 years of schooling had more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of health-related LMM and more than a 1.5-fold increased risk of non-health-related LMM. Risk factors measured across the life course explained a large part of the association between education and health-related LMM (33–61%) and non-health-related LMM (13–58%).ConclusionsEducational differences remained regarding LMM among mature-aged workers, even after considering several important risk factors measured across the life course. Previous health problems and disrupted employment histories explained the largest part of the associations.
Highlights
Social inequalities in labor force participation are well established, but the causes of these inequalities are not fully understood
Risk factors measured across the life course explained a large part of the association between education and health-related labor market marginalization (LMM) (33–61%) and non-health-related LMM (13–58%)
Educational differences remained regarding LMM among mature-aged workers, even after considering several important risk factors measured across the life course
Summary
Social inequalities in labor force participation are well established, but the causes of these inequalities are not fully understood. The present study aims to investigate the association between educational qualification and labor market marginalization (LMM) among mature-aged working men and to examine to what extent the association can be explained by risk factors over the life course. Labor market marginalization (LMM), i.e. being more or less distant from the labor force due to sickness absence, unemployment or disability pension, among mature-aged workers (50 years or older) is becoming a notable public health and societal challenge, given that the majority of countries are becoming increasingly reliant upon the aging workforce [1]. The existence of social inequalities in labor force participation especially in older ages is well established [8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16], the causes of these inequalities are not fully understood. To be able to target initiatives for sustaining employment up to and beyond retirement ages for the whole population, as this is vital for economic growth and sustainability [1]
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