Occupational Status and Health Transitions

G. Brant Morefield, David Ribar () and Christopher Ruhm

The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 2012, vol. 11, issue 3, 29

Abstract: We use longitudinal data from the 1984-2007 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine how occupational status is related to the health transitions of 30-59 year-old U.S. males. A recent history of blue-collar employment predicts a substantial increase in the probability of transitioning from very good into bad self-assessed health, relative to white-collar employment, but with no evidence of a difference in movements from bad to very good health. Service work is also associated with a higher probability of transitioning into bad health and possibly with a lower probability of recovery. These findings suggest that blue-collar and service workers “wear out” faster with age because they are more likely than their white-collar counterparts to experience negative health shocks. There is also evidence that this partly reflects differences in the physical demands of jobs.

Keywords: occupation; health transitions; PSID (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Related works:
Working Paper: Occupational Status and Health Transitions (2011)
Working Paper: Occupational Status and Health Transitions (2011)
Working Paper: Occupational Status and Health Transitions (2011)
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DOI: 10.1515/1935-1682.2881

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