Occupational Skill Level Research Articles

Changes in all-cause and cause-specific mortality by occupational skill during COVID-19 epidemic in Spain

BackgroundThere is little information on the differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality by occupation. The objective was to examine changes in mortality during the COVID-19 period compared with...

Impact of sitting at work on musculoskeletal complaints of German workers - results from the study on mental health at work (S-MGA)

IntroductionSedentary behavior (including prolonged sitting) is a form of physical inactivity that has a negative impact on health, possibly including musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs). The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which time spent sitting at work is associated with the one-year prevalence of MSCs in the neck, shoulder, upper back/thoracic spine, and lower back among workers from the Study of Mental Health in the Workplace (S-MGA). In addition, the study also examined whether leisure time, physical activity, and sex modify the relationship between occupational sitting and MSCs.MethodsFor this analysis, we used the S-MGA, a 5-year prospective study in Germany. The S-MGA is a nationwide representative employee cohort study with a baseline survey in 2012 and a follow-up survey in 2017. Sitting at work was measured using a question asked at baseline. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to determine the one-year prevalence of MSCs in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and lower back pain (yes/no). The assessment of MSCs was only conducted at the 2017 follow-up. Adjusted Poisson regression models were used to determine the association of baseline level of weekly hours spent sitting at work with MSCs during follow-up. In addition to unadjusted models, models were adjusted for demographic (age, sex, body mass index and occupational skill level), occupational (heavy lifting at work), psychological disorders and lifestyle factors (smoking status and leisure time physical activity), as well as preexisting musculoskeletal conditions reported at baseline. To examine whether the relationship between sitting time and pain was modified by sex and leisure time physical activity, the models were stratified for both these variables.ResultsAmong the participants analyzed (n = 2,082), 49.8% were male, while 50.2% were female, and more than 60% of the study population spent over half of their working hours in a sitting position. Exposure to increased sitting at work reported at baseline was not consistently associated with 12-month prevalence of MSCs in the upper body at follow-up. However, differences in the association between occupational sitting and MSCs were dependent on the intensity of leisure time physical activity. Prevalence ratios (PRs) indicated an increased prevalence of MSC in the neck (PR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.18–1.80) and shoulder (PR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.03–1.64) in workers without leisure time physical activity who spent 25 to < 35 weekly working hours sitting.DiscussionThese findings suggest that leisure time physical activity interacts with the relationship between sitting at work and MSCs. The relationship between sitting at work and musculoskeletal pain needs further investigation, but we found indications that leisure time physical activity may counter the effects of sitting at work.

Hand eczema-related presenteeism and sickness absence: A cross-sectional population-based study.

To date, hand eczema (HE)-related presenteeism has never been assessed within the general population, and general population-based studies on HE-related sickness absence are limited. To assess the prevalence of HE-related presenteeism and sickness absence, and factors associated with HE-related presenteeism, within the Dutch general population. Within the Lifelines Cohort Study, participants with HE in the last year (aged 18-65 in 2020), were identified by a questionnaire including questions regarding HE-related presenteeism and sickness absence. Socio-demographic factors were collected from 2006 to 2020. Out of the 3.703 included participants with HE, 2.7% (n = 100) reported HE-related presenteeism, with 19.8% (n = 57) among those with severe-to-very-severe HE. HE-related sickness absence was reported by 0.5% (n = 20) and 5.9% (n = 17), respectively. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age and sex, showed negative associations between HE-related presenteeism and higher educational attainment, higher income (>€2500) and higher occupational skill level, and positive associations for high-risk occupations, chronic HE, moderate and severe-to-very-severe HE (compared to almost clear), atopic dermatitis and occupational wet exposure. A high prevalence of HE-related presenteeism was found among participants with severe-to-very-severe HE. Future studies should focus on longitudinal associations with the clinical course of HE, as HE-related presenteeism might aggravate symptoms of HE.

Place of origin, education, and the career development plights of the suburban migrant workers in Zhejiang manufacturing industry

China’s rapid urbanization over the past three decades has created a multifaceted social-spatial dynamic on the urban fringe – urbanized suburbs, wherein an influx of migrants juxtaposed with an outflow of the local population. Against this background, the extant migrant studies in China mainly focus on rural and urban migration, yet suburban migrants are relatively underrepresented. Suburban migrants have roots in the built-up urban, and they designate rural residents who have been resettled during the urbanization process and subsequently moved into other cities to live and work. As the complexities of governmental schemes, their household registrations ( hukou) may or may not be changed from rural to urban during neighborhood redevelopment. In migrant studies that use rural-urban hukou as a dichotomous statistical classification, their socio-demographic characteristics as a sample group are hard to capture. This paper examines the career development of suburban migrants in the manufacturing industry in Zhejiang China, where migrant workers are concentrated. It compares the career development of migrant workers from rural, suburban, and urban areas on four dimensions – unemployment risk, occupational skill level, income level, and occupational position. The study of 553 intra-provincial migrant workers finds that suburban migrants encountered comparable challenges in their career development as rural migrants did. Furthermore, the level of education attained by individuals has a noteworthy mediating effect, contributing to the disparities observed across urban, suburban, and rural groups. The gap in career development between suburban migrants and their urban counterparts – even in Zhejiang, a province with the smallest economic gap between urban and rural development in China and was relatively less impacted by the epidemic outbreak – is still significant. This research aims to enrich scholarly dialogues surrounding the field of migrant studies and the intricate socio-spatial dynamics prevalent within Chinese suburban areas.

Comparison of eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) and Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) in Assessing Electronic Health Literacy in Chinese Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

This study compared the reliability, construct validity, and respondents' preference of the Chinese version of 8-item eHEALS (C-eHEALS) and 21-item DHLI (C-DHLI) in assessing older adults' electronic health (eHealth) literacy using a mixed-methods approach. A web-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 277 Chinese older adults from September to October 2021, and 15 respondents were subsequently interviewed to understand their preference of scale to use in practice. Results showed that the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of both scales were satisfactory. For the construct validity, the C-DHLI score showed stronger positive correlations with having Internet use for health information and higher educational attainments, occupational skill levels, self-rated Internet skills, and health literacy than the C-eHEALS score. In addition, younger age, higher household income, urban residence, and longer Internet use history were only positively correlated with C-DHLI score. Qualitative data suggested that most interviewees perceived the C-DHLI as more readable than C-eHEALS for its clear structure, specific description, short sentence length, and less semantic complexity. Findings revealed that both scales are reliable tools to measure eHealth literacy among Chinese older adults, and the C-DHLI seemed to be a more valid and favored instrument for the general Chinese older population based on the quantitative and qualitative results.

Comparative Analysis of USA Green Industries and Green Jobs in Colorado and Pennsylvania

This paper estimates and forecasts the green economies and green jobs in the USA states of Colorado and Pennsylvania. The industry distribution of green jobs in each state is estimated by NAICS code. The occupational distribution of green jobs in each state is estimated by detailed occupational classification and skill levels. Green jobs for each state are forecast for the coming decade. We find substantial differences in the size, structure, distribution, and forecasts of green jobs in each state. We determine that the number of future green jobs in a state is determined by the increasing portion of total jobs in the state comprised of green jobs and the rate of growth of employment in the state, and that green jobs in Colorado are forecast to increase much more rapidly than in Pennsylvania in both percentage and absolute terms. We determine that these changes will alter the future distribution of U.S. green jobs among the states. We also find that the distribution of green jobs among industry sectors in the two states differs significantly. Finally, we find that there are substantial differences in the industrial and occupational distributions of green jobs in Colorado and Pennsylvania. We discuss the implications for Colorado, Pennsylvania, and other states seeking to implement ambitious green initiatives.

Journeymen Migration and Settlement in Eighteenth-century Holland

AbstractMany crafts in premodern Europe depended on migratory journeymen. Little is known about these workers, or how craft guilds and urban authorities affected their movement. By employing novel data on thousands of journeymen from different crafts and cities in Holland, we provide the first systematic overview of journeymen migration and settlement patterns in The Dutch Republic. We find that migration and settlement patterns differed significantly by occupational sector, marital status, and skill level. The stance of urban authorities towards migrants significantly affected settlement patterns as well. This interrelation of group-level characteristics, craft guilds, and urban regulation demonstrates the significance of examining these elements in tandem.

Impacts of Fuel Subsidy Rationalization on Sectoral Output and Employment in Malaysia

Large allocations for fuel subsidies have long put the Government of Malaysia’s budget under great strain. Using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, this paper evaluates the impact of fuel subsidy rationalization on sectoral output and employment. Employment is classified into occupational categories and skill levels. Fuel subsidies were measured using the disaggregation of prices for petrol, diesel, and other fuel products. Findings show that removing fuel subsidies would hit economic performance through high input costs, specifically for industries closely attached to the petroleum refinery sector. The manufacturing sector has the largest reduction in output and employment. Nevertheless, high- and medium-skilled labor forces experience increased demand. To increase economic efficiency, the savings from the removal of fuel subsidies should be put toward policies such as sales tax reduction. This study provides useful information for policy makers in evaluating or updating current subsidy policies to reduce economic losses.

How Welfare Regimes Moderate the Associations Between Cognitive Aging, Education, and Occupation.

Previous studies have shown the importance of individual markers of cognitive reserve, such as education and occupation, for cognitive health in old age. However, there has been only little investigation so far on how this relationship varies across contexts. We analyzed data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, using second-order latent growth models, to assess the moderating role of welfare regimes on the relationship between education and occupation skill level in explaining overall cognitive functioning and decline in old age. Our sample includes 13 European countries using data from 5 regular waves of the survey (2004-2007 and 2011-2015) and 2 retrospective ones (2008-2009 and 2017). Cognitive functioning was modeled as a latent variable measured by immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency, and numeracy. 74,193 participants were included from the survey. Our analysis showed that the association of education with cognition was weaker overall in Scandinavian countries, but stronger in Southern European countries, relative to Bismarckian ones. However, educational differences in the decline of cognition were more pronounced only in Scandinavian compared to Bismarckian countries. Additionally, higher-skilled occupations in Scandinavian countries had better overall functioning compared to the same occupations in Bismarckian countries, but there was no difference in the decline in cognitive functioning. Our findings indicate that the associations of cognitive functioning and its decline with individuals' cognitive reserve markers (education and occupational skill level) vary according to welfare regimes, showing the importance of contextual factors in cognitive aging processes.

Relationship between vision impairment and employment

AimsTo examine the relationship between vision impairment (VI) and employment outcomes in a multiethnic Asian population.MethodsWe included 7608 Asian individuals aged ≥40 years (mean (SD) age: 58.4 (10.3) years; 64.8%...

Skilled Migrants in the Swedish Labour Market: An Analysis of Employment, Income and Occupational Status

In a globalised world with an increasing division of labour, the competition for highly skilled individuals—regardless of their origin—is growing, as is the value of such individuals for national economies. Yet the majority of studies analysing the economic integration of immigrants shows that those who are highly skilled also have substantial hurdles to overcome: their employment rates and salaries are lower and they face a higher education-to-occupation mismatch compared to highly skilled natives. This paper contributes to the paucity of studies on the employment patterns of highly skilled immigrants to Sweden by providing an overview of the socio-demographic characteristics, labour-market participation and occupational mobility of highly educated migrants in Sweden. Based on a statistical analysis of register data, we compare their employment rates, salaries and occupational skill level and mobility to those of immigrants with lower education and with natives. The descriptive analysis of the data shows that, while highly skilled immigrants perform better than those with a lower educational level, they never catch up with their native counterparts. Our regression analyses confirm these patterns for highly skilled migrants. Furthermore, we find that reasons for migration matter for highly skilled migrants’ employment outcomes, with labour migrants having better employment rates, income and qualification-matched employment than family reunion migrants and refugees.

Socioeconomic pathways to inequalities in mental and functional health: a comparative study of three birth cohorts

BackgroundAlthough the educational expansion is often seen as a mechanism that might reduce health inequalities, socioeconomic inequalities in health (SEIH) have persisted or increased over the past decades. Theories suggest that this persistence could be due to a changing role of education as a ‘gatekeeper’ to access other socioeconomic resources such as occupation and income that are also associated with health outcomes. To test this, we examine whether the mediating role of occupation and income in the education–health relationship differs between three cohorts of 55–64 year old adults.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from three cohorts of 988, 1002, and 1023 adults born in 1928/37, 1938/47 and 1948/57 and observed in 1992/93, 2002/03, 2012/13 respectively, who participated in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We used multigroup structural equation modelling to compare the strength of indirect effects of education via occupational skill level and income to functional limitations and depressive symptoms between cohorts.ResultsAbsolute educational inequalities in functional limitations increased for men and women in later cohorts, and in depressive symptoms only for men. Relative inequalities in functional limitations increased only for women and in depressive symptoms only for men. The indirect effect of education via income on both health outcomes was weaker in the most recent birth cohort compared to the earlier cohorts. In contrast, the indirect effect of education via occupation on functional limitations was stronger in the most recent cohort compared to the earlier cohorts. These differences were mainly due to a decreasing direct effect of education on income and an increasing direct effect of education on occupational skill level, rather than to changes in the direct effects of occupation and income on health.ConclusionsThe role of education in determining inequalities in health appears to have changed across cohorts. While education became a less important determinant of income, it became a more important determinant of occupational level. This changing role of education in producing health inequalities should be considered in research and policy.

Knowledge, prevalence and associated factors for antibiotic non-adherence among adult outpatients in public health facilities in South-south Nigeria

Background: Poor adherence to prescribed antibiotics leads to sub-optimal concentrations in vivo and is a recognized cause of antibiotic resistance. Most studies on antibiotic adherence focus on healthy population groups. The study assessed knowledge and attitude towards antibiotics and antibiotic use, and associated factors for non-adherence amongst adult general out-patient clinic attendees. Methods and materials: Using a cross-sectional study design, 800 consenting attendees at adult general outpatient clinics of 5 secondary and tertiary hospitals in Edo central senatorial district, Edo State, Nigeria were interviewed using pretested questionnaires following ethical approval to conduct the study. Independent variables were sociodemographic, knowledge (good/fair/poor), attitude (positive/negative), perceived doctor's support and perceived family support. The dependent variable was antibiotic non-adherence. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis and significant variables analyzed with multivariate logistic regression, with statistical significance, p, set as <0.05. Results: Response rate was 100%. Majority, 360 (45.0%), had poor knowledge and 74 (50.3%) had poor attitude towards antibiotics use. Majority, 608 (85.0%) opined that antibiotics were effective against bacteria, 175 (21.9%) that antibiotics can be used to treat common colds, and 471 (58.9%) that antibiotics can be stopped when symptoms cleared. Factors negatively associated with poor knowledge were higher educational level, age > 30 years and being of occupational skill level 3. Duration of residence > 40 years was positively associated with poor knowledge. Poor attitude was negatively associated with average monthly income and duration of residence 40–49 years. Attitude was also significantly associated with respondent's knowledge level (p < 0.001). One hundred and forty-seven respondents (18.4%) had received an antibiotic prescription in the last 4 months, of which 75 (51.0%) did not complete the dose, with the most common reason given as remission of symptoms (65.3%). In multivariate analysis, attitude, perceived support from doctor and family members were negatively associated with non-adherence. Conclusion: Interventions to improve antibiotic adherence should be centred around public health education and behaviour change communication on appropriate antibiotic use, building clinician-patient interactions and fostering family support for the sick patient.

Socioeconomic and marital status among liver cirrhosis patients and associations with mortality: a population-based cohort study in Sweden

BackgroundThe importance of socioeconomic status for survival in cirrhosis patients is more or less pronounced within different populations, most likely due to cultural and regional differences combined with dissimilarities in healthcare system organisation and accessibility. Our aim was to study the survival of patients with cirrhosis in a population-based Swedish cohort, using available data on marital status, employment status, and occupational skill level.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 582 patients diagnosed with cirrhosis in the Region of Halland (total population 310,000) between 2011 and 2018. Medical and histopathologic data, obtained from registries, were reviewed. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations between survival and marital status (married, never married, previously married), employment status (employed, pensioner, disability retired, unemployed), and occupational skill level (low-skilled: level I; medium-skilled: level II; medium-high skilled: level III; professionals: level IV); adjusting for sex, age, aetiology, Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, Child-Pugh class, and comorbidities.ResultsAlcohol was the most common aetiology (51%). Most patients were male (63%) and the median age was 66 years. Occupational skill level was associated with the severity of cirrhosis at diagnosis and the prevalence of Child-Pugh C gradually increased from professionals through low-skilled. The mean survival for professionals (6.39 years, 95% CI 5.54–7.23) was higher than for low-skilled (3.00 years, 95% CI 2.33–3.67) and medium-skilled (4.04 years, 95% CI 3.64–4.45). The calculated hazard ratios in the multivariate analysis were higher for low-skilled (3.43, 95% CI 1.89–6.23) and medium-skilled (2.48, 95% CI 1.48–4.12), compared to professionals. When aggregated, low- and medium-skilled groups also had poorer mean survival (3.79 years, 95% CI 3.44–4.14; vs 5.64 years, 95% CI 5.00–6.28) and higher hazard ratios (1.85, 95% CI 1.32–2.61) compared to the aggregated medium-high skilled and professional groups. Marital and employment status were not statistically significant predictors of mortality in the multivariate analysis.ConclusionsOccupational skill level was strongly associated with mean survival and mortality risk. Poorer prognosis among patients with low and medium occupational skill level could not be explained by differences in sex, age, marital status, employment status, MELD score, Child-Pugh class, or comorbidity.

Prevalence of stress among school-going adolescents: An exploratory study

Background: According to the 2011 Census of India, every fifth person is an adolescent, and most of these adolescents were residing in rural India. Among adolescents, the prevalence of any mental morbidity was 7.3%. Objective: To assess the prevalence of stress among school-going adolescents and to assess the influence of parental factors like education, socioeconomic status, occupation, and substance use. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done among adolescents (between 13 and 19 years) studying in two government schools, Bangalore, south India. After obtaining ethical approval and assent/consent, a structured face validated questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic details, parental factors, and stress by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Mean, standard deviation, and appropriate test of association was applied, and a 'p' value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Study included 228 males (51.3%) and 217 females (48.7%). Majority (68.76%) were in the age group of 15 – 16 years, 162 (66.2%), and most 253 (56.85%) were from middle-class families. The prevalence of low stress was 135 (30.33%), moderate stress was 177 (39.78%), and severe stress was 133 (29.89%) and was slightly more among males (51.24%) when compared to females (48.76%). The prevalence of stress increased as the parent’s socioeconomic status decreased and was greater in parents with occupational skill level 1 and parents with substance use. Conclusions: Stress level was higher among school-going adolescent males when compared to females. Stress levels were higher among adolescents whose parents belonged to low socioeconomic status and with low skill levels, and substance abuse.

Research on Simulation Training System for Substation Equipment Maintenance

Substation equipment is the core component of substation. The occupational skill level of the operation and maintenance personnel is directly related to the safe and stable operation of power grid. Obviously the training for substation equipment maintenance is essential. Virtual simulation training platform for substation equipment maintenance is an effective tool to improve the practical skills of maintenance personnel. Therefore, a realization scheme of the substation equipment maintenance simulation training system is mainly researched in this paper. By configuring maintenance tasks and equipment defects, the automatic generation of equipment maintenance virtual operation scenes and three-dimensional equipment models can be realized in the training system, thereby accomplishing flexible configuration of training tasks. Besides, trainees can be evaluated via the establishment of the maintenance evaluation model. In the actual training application, the equipment patrol and inspection as well as the maintenance process are simulated in the virtual substation scene, which can effectively improve the maintenance skill training effect.

Occupations and the Non-Standard Employment Career: How the Occupational Skill Level and Task Types Influence the Career Outcomes of Non-Standard Employment

This article examines to what extent the occupational skill level and task types determine whether non-standard employment (NSE) leads to a stepping-stone or a trap in the careers of workers. For this purpose, a typology of the individual careers of workers in the Netherlands who entered non-standard employment in 2007 is created using multichannel sequence analysis. This typology allows for classifying careers in terms of employment security and income security. An analysis of this typology shows that working in occupations with high-level tasks does not preclude trap careers with low levels of employment and income security. Routine tasks do not have an unequivocal effect on career outcomes, while manual tasks generally lead to trap careers. The combination of routine and manual tasks makes it most likely for NSE to function as a trap in workers’ careers.

False self-employment: the role of occupations

PurposeThis paper analyses the relation between occupational characteristics and the probability that a worker in the Netherlands has a false self-employed arrangement instead of an employee arrangement. These are arrangements in which self-employed workers perform tasks in the hierarchy of the firm as if they were employees.Design/methodology/approachData from the Dutch Labour Force Survey is used to analyse the relationship between occupational skill, routine and wage level and the probability to be a false self-employed or a standard or non-standard employee.FindingsThe results show that the probability to be false self-employed decreases slightly with the skill level of the occupation, but there is no evidence that false self-employment is more likely in low paid, routine occupations. Workers in the lowest paid occupations are more likely to have a non-standard contract as an employee. False self-employment arrangements are more likely in the (lower) middle paid occupations. Finally, the results show that working in the highest paid occupations increases the probability of being in a false self-employed arrangement, but only in arrangements that are characterised by economic and organizational dependency. These are arrangements with financial dependency on one client for income combined with dependency on this client on when and where to work.Originality/valueThis study makes an important contribution to the literature on identifying vulnerable self-employed workers as well as to the literature on mechanisms behind the growth of solo self-employment.

Refugees in the Colombian Labor Market: The Consequences of Occupational Downgrading

I study the effects of mass migration from Venezuela to Colombia on native labor market outcomes, occupational skill level and internal migration. Using an instrumental variable strategy and variation across 79 metropolitan areas, I find that the migration led to minimal changes in native employment and a 1.05% decline in hourly wages from a 1 percentage point increase in the migrant share. This magnitude is substantially larger for less educated workers in the informal sector. I also find that Venezuelan migration caused small increases in native out-migration alongside minor occupational upgrading by some demographic groups and downgrading by others. Existing papers studying the same migration wave have found different magnitudes of the wage effect, and I demonstrate the differences in specification that drive this variation. In particular, the magnitude of the wage effect is sensitive to implicit assumptions made while constructing the migration measure.

Job Insecurity: A Comparative Analysis between Migrant and Native Workers in Australia.

Job insecurity is a modifiable risk factor for poor health outcomes, and exposure to job insecurity varies by population groups. This study assessed if job insecurity exposure varied by migrant status and if the differences varied by gender, age, educational attainment, and occupational skill level. Data were from wave 14 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. The outcome was job insecurity. Exposure was migrant status defined by (1) the country of birth (COB), (2) the dominant language of the COB, and (3) the number of years since arrival in Australia. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age, educational attainment, and occupational skill level. These covariates were also analysed as effect modifiers for the migrant status–job insecurity relationships. Migrant workers, especially those from non-English speaking countries (non-ESC-born), experienced higher job insecurity than Australia-born workers; however, these disparities disappeared after 11+ years post-arrival. The migrant status–job insecurity relationships were modified by educational attainment. Unexpectedly, the disparities in job insecurity between non-ESC-born migrants and Australia-born workers increased with increasing educational attainment, and for those most highly educated, the disparities persisted beyond 11 years post-arrival. Our findings suggested that continuing language skill support and discrimination prevention could facilitate migrant integration into the Australian labour market.