Advances in Management and Applied Economics

Occupation, Working Hours and Arthritis: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Sample of Older Age Adults

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• Abstract

   

  Driven by falling fertility rates and increase in life expectancy, aging populations is an evident phenomenon. In line with this demographic change, even though health deteriorates with age, many older workers is expected to continue working and participate in labor force. Accordingly, analyzing health effects of various working conditions are central to develop policies and interventions to ensure healthy aging workforce. Against this background, the article examines the probability of developing arthritis for older workers in relation to working hours and occupation categories in the United States. Using Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative data set for the US, we found that increasing a person’s working hours reduces their probability of developing arthritis. Moreover, we identified that considering probability of developing arthritis, higher and lower risk occupations differ by gender. Low-risk occupations for both sexes are professional specialty operation and technical support and clerical, administrative support. The only common high-risk occupation is health services.

  
  

  JEL classification numbers: J140, I120

  Keywords: Elderly, ageing, arthritis, musculoskeletal complaints