[Disability retirement risk for different occupations in Germany]

The risk of disability retirement due to long-term illness increases with age and is higher for low-skilled employees. Several studies have shown that low occupational status increases the risk of severe illness. The topic of this analysis is the relative risk of becoming a disability pensioner for different occupational groups (according to the Blossfeld classification) in Germany. The analysis is based on longitudinal data from the German pension office. The hazard risk of invalidity until the age of 59 years is shown for different occupational groups. Survival analysis shows that the highest risk of invalidity exists for low-qualified office clerks or service staff for men and women alike. The already increased disability risk between the ages of 40 and 50 in these occupations can be regarded as an early warning for the higher risk later in life. No such warning signs can be found among professions such as nurses and social workers. However, these groups have the highest risk of disability retirement among women.