The health of the Australian workforce: 1998-2001

To describe the health of the Australian workforce in relation to occupational status.

Data on 9,167 workers, collected between 1998 and 2001, were obtained from the Campbell National Health Monitor, a cross-sectional national, health survey. Professional, white-collar and blue-collar workers were compared on five health outcomes: self-rated health, long-and short-term conditions, reduced activity days and work absences.

One in 10 workers (M:11%; F:10%) rated their health as poor. Two-thirds (M: 60%; F: 64%) reported long-term conditions with four in five (M:77%; F: 83%) reporting short-term conditions. Smaller proportions took health-related actions, with 21% of men and 28% of women reducing their activity, and 17% of men and 20% of women taking time off work in a given month. Occupational inequalities in self-rated health were evident for both men and women, with professionals reporting the best health and blue-collar workers the worst (p < 0.001). Male, but not female, white- and blue-collar workers also had higher rates of short-term conditions (OR 1.25, 1.06-1.50 and 1.25, 1.07-1.46, respectively) and reduced activity days due to health (OR 1.43, 1.20-1.71 and 1.25, 1.07-1.47, respectively) compared with professionals. However, blue-collar workers reporting health problems were the least likely to take time off work (poor health: p = 0.043; short-term conditions: p = 0.001; long-term conditions: p = 0.003).

Blue-collar workers are the least healthy occupational grouping. They are also the most likely to present to work unwell. With employment conditions rapidly changing, better understanding of the impact of these changes on workers' health is vital.