Men with good jobs live longer

Statistics released from the ONS yesterday suggest a link between the quality of the job you have and the chances of a premature death (see figure or visit blog if you are reading this blog elsewhere).

This extract from the ONS article pretty much sums up the disparity:

Men in routine jobs are 2.8 times more likely to die between the ages of 25 and 64 years than men in higher managerial posts.

From 2001 to 2003, the mortality rate of working age men in routine occupations in England and Wales was 513 deaths per 100,000 compared to only 182 among large employers and higher managers.

What's most interesting is how there appears to be a clear correlation between the main feature of good jobs - high employee control and security - and not so good jobs - low employee control and security.

Having said that, work isn't everything and it is likely that, for instance, those with high control in the workplace probably have a greater say in their life outside of work, i.e. greater disposable income, more likely to have skills and knowledge to make greater demands of health and educational services, etc.

See Health Inequalities: Death rates highest for routine workers for more details.

No comments: