Study finds link between low job satisfaction when young and poor health in middle age

Job satisfaction among younger workers affects wellbeing later in life, according to a US study.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that people who were less happy with their jobs in their 20s and 30s were more likely to report mental health issues in their 40s, including depression and anxiety.

The study also found a more limited impact on physical health, with effects including back pain and more frequent bouts of illness.

Co-author Hui Zheng said: “The higher levels of mental health problems for those with low job satisfaction may be a precursor to future physical problems. Increased anxiety and depression could lead to cardiovascular or other health problems that won’t show up until they are older.”

The authors of the study used data from over 6,000 Americans who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, which followed adults who were between the ages of 14 and 22 when the survey began in 1979.

Andrew Clark has written for IZA World of Labor about job quality and job satisfaction. He argues that job quality is integral to well-being, and notes that job satisfaction is stagnant or falling in many countries. He writes: “Policymakers may not need to intervene to improve job quality if the labor market can produce the socially-desirable level of job quality. However, intervention may be needed if distortionary taxes, misinformation, or imbalances in bargaining power prevent the market from producing optimal levels of job quality.”

Francis Green has also written for us about the health effects of job insecurity. He writes that: “Workers’ health is not just a matter for employees and employers, but also for public policy. Governments should count the health cost of restrictive policies that generate unemployment and insecurity, while promoting employability through skills training. Policy should also encourage forms of employee participation and social support in workplaces.”

Related articles:

What makes a good job? Job quality and job satisfaction by Andrew E. Clark

Health effects of job insecurity by Francis Green

The relationship between recessions and health by Nick Drydakis

Find more IZA World of Labor articles about health