RESUMO
Early labour market exit of large birth cohorts will put pressure on the social security systems of many European countries, especially Germany. Despite political efforts, many people retire before the statutory retirement age. A well-known predictor of retirement is health, which, in turn, is influenced by psychosocial working conditions such as work-related stress. This study examined whether work stress is associated with early labour market exit. In addition, we investigated whether health mediates this association. Survey data of the German Cohort Study on Work, Age, Health and Work Participation (lidA study) were linked to register data from the Federal Employment Agency, from which information on labour market exit was obtained (n = 3636). During a 6-year follow-up period, Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the influence of work-related stress and health on early labour market exit, adjusting for sex, age, education, occupational status, income and supervisor behaviour. Work-related stress was measured by effort-reward imbalance (ERI). Additionally, a mediation analysis was conducted to investigate a possible mediation of the association between ERI and early labour market exit by self-rated health. Higher work-related stress increased the likelihood of early labour market exit (HR 1.86; 95% CI 1.19-2.92). However, when including health in the Cox regression, the significant effect of work-related stress disappeared. Poor health was a risk factor for early labour market exit (HR 1.49; 95% CI 1.26-1.76) independent of all confounders. The results of the mediation analysis showed that self-rated health mediated the association between ERI and early labour market exit. The balance between effort and reward at work plays a major role in improving the self-rated health of workers. Interventions that reduce work-related stress can help to improve health and thus to maintain older employees in the German labour market.
RESUMO
In recent years, early retirement decisions have become more frequent in the European Union despite political efforts to prevent early retirement. This is a growing problem for the social security system. The study focuses on a life course approach using employment biographies and investigates the influence of work stress and health on early retirement intentions. Data of employees who were born in either 1959 or 1965 of the German cohort study on work, age, health and work participation are analysed (n = 3338). By linking survey and register data from 1993 to 2011, a sequence analysis is conducted to identify employment biographies. To analyse the relationship between the employment biographies and intended early retirement, a longitudinal path analysis is computed and includes work stress, measured through effort-reward imbalance, and self-rated health. The statistical analyses identify three adverse employment biographies, i.e. part-time work, episodes of unemployment or marginal employment. In addition, two favourable employment biographies are determined, characterised by full-time work and few episodes of unemployment. The results of the path analysis show that employment biographies with high work-related stress have early retirement intentions. Among adverse employment biographies, indirect effects of poor health on the association between work stress and early retirement intentions are found. Unexpectedly, among full-time workers, work stress is also associated with early retirement intentions with an additional mediation through health. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the life course perspective when analysing retirement decisions. In addition to health-promoting interventions in the labour market, effects of psychosocial factors should be focussed on in order to reduce early exits from the labour market. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00731-0.
RESUMO
The gender pay gap has been observed for decades, and still exists. Due to a life course perspective, gender differences in income are analyzed over a period of 24 years. Therefore, this study aims to investigate income trajectories and the differences regarding men and women. Moreover, the study examines how human capital determinants, occupational positions and factors that accumulate disadvantages over time contribute to the explanation of the GPG in Germany. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the GPG over the life course. The data are based on the German cohort study lidA (living at work), which links survey data individually with employment register data. Based on social security data, the income of men and women over time are analyzed using a multilevel analysis. The results show that the GPG exists in Germany over the life course: men have a higher daily average income per year than women. In addition, the income developments of men rise more sharply than those of women over time. Moreover, even after controlling for factors potentially explaining the GPG like education, work experience, occupational status or unemployment episodes the GPG persists. Concluding, further research is required that covers additional factors like individual behavior or information about the labor market structure for a better understanding of the GPG.
