The association between education and work stress: does the policy context matter?
Thorsten Lunau1, Johannes Siegrist2, Nico Dragano1
1Centre for Health and Society, Institute for Medical Sociology, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Plos One
|March 27, 2015
Summary
Lower educational attainment is linked to higher work stress across Europe. However, countries with strong "integrative" labor market policies, focusing on active measures and lifelong learning, show smaller inequalities in work stress.
Area of Science:
- Social Epidemiology
- Labor Economics
- Public Policy
Background:
- Socioeconomic position significantly influences work-related stress, with lower socioeconomic groups disproportionately affected.
- Educational attainment is a key indicator of socioeconomic position and its relationship with work stress requires further investigation across diverse European contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the association between education and work stress among older workers (50-64) in 16 European countries.
- To explore the role of national labor market policies in mitigating educational inequalities in work stress.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N=13695).
- Assessed work stress using the demand-control and effort-reward imbalance models, with education measured by ISCED.
- Employed multilevel models to examine interactions between individual education and national policy indicators ('protective' vs. 'integrative').
Main Results:
- Consistent associations found between lower education and higher work stress across all studied countries.
- The magnitude of this association varied significantly by country.
- Countries with strong 'integrative' policies (active labor market policies, lifelong learning) exhibited smaller educational inequalities in work stress.
Conclusions:
- Educational disparities in work stress are evident across Europe.
- National labor market policies, particularly 'integrative' ones, can effectively reduce these inequalities.
- Policies supporting disadvantaged individuals in the labor market are crucial for promoting equitable work environments.
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