Abstract
BACKGROUND: While the impact of poor working conditions on workers' intention to leave the job is well-established, limited research has examined how the availability of pension benefits influences the association between adverse psychosocial work conditions and labor market exit for health reasons among middle-aged and older workers. This study explored the association of psychosocial and physical work conditions with labor market exit for health reasons among individuals with varying pension statuses. METHODS: This study utilized data from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST), which investigated reasons for labor market exit among 2,143 adults aged 55 and older. Work conditions were aggregated by occupation based on data from the Occupational Safety and Health Surveys, which included nationally representative employees, and subsequently linked to HALST data. We examined the differential impact of psychosocial and physical work conditions on health-related labor market exit, compared to old age retirement, among individuals with and without pension coverage. RESULTS: Among 2,143 study participants, 7.3% left the labor market due to health reasons, and 39.9% reported not having a pension. Individuals with low job control (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05 to 4.73) and high physical demands (aOR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.26 to 5.85) were more likely to exit the labor market for health reasons compared to old age retirement. Among participants without a pension, adverse work conditions were significantly associated with labor market exit for health reasons. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse work conditions were associated with labor market exit for health reasons particularly among older adults without pension coverage. Implementing policies to improve psychosocial work conditions and enhance the pension system is warranted.