Health and labor force participation among older workers in Switzerland: a growth curve analysis

This study investigated how individual trajectories of self-rated health (SRH) and working hours among older workers in Switzerland are interrelated and how this relationship varies based on occupation. We used data from the Swiss Household Panel to analyze the long-term trajectories of older workers measured in terms of working hours and SRH. The sample included more than 4000 workers aged 50 to 65(men)/64(women). We ran a bivariate response multilevel model for growth that allowed the examination of between- and within-individual changes over time. On a between-individual level, we found that the upper non-manual workers were the most heterogeneous occupational group in terms of working hours and the lower non-manual workers were the most heterogeneous occupational group in terms of health. Within all occupational groups, we found a significant relationship between the level of working hours and level of SRH. The individual-level statistics showed consistently strongest effects for manual workers. This result confirms our hypothesis that labor force participation in individuals of the manual occupational group is more sensitive to their health status. Our findings contribute to the debate regarding the importance of older workers’ health in the context of the extension of working life.