Is Job Insecurity Worse for Mental Health Than Having a Part-time Job in Canada?

OBJECTIVES: A growing number of people depend on flexible employment, characterized by outsider employment status and perceived job insecurity. This study investigated whether there was a synergistic effect of employment status (full-time vs. part-time) and perceived job insecurity on major depressive disorder. METHODS: Data were derived from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health of 12 640 of Canada’s labor force population, aged 20 to 74. By combining employment status with perceived job insecurity, we formed four employment categories: full-time secure, full-time insecure, part-time secure, and part-time insecure. RESULTS: Results showed no synergistic health effect between employment status and perceived job insecurity. Regardless of employment status (full-time vs. part-time), insecure employment was significantly associated with a high risk of major depressive disorder. Analysis of the interaction between gender and four flexible employment status showed a gender-contingent effect on this link in only full-time insecure category. Men workers with full-time insecure jobs were more likely to experience major depressive disorders than their women counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: This study’s findings imply that perceived job insecurity may be a critical factor for developing major depressive disorder, in both men and women workers.