Re-Employment, Job Quality, Health and Allostatic Load Biomarkers: Prospective Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study

This article attempts to answer whether moving into poor quality employment (i.e., low security, low wages, low autonomy) is better for one’s physical and mental health than staying unemployed. Researchers examined employment outcomes and health assessments of about 1,500 English adults. While physical health indicators improved regardless of the quality of work obtained, researchers identified worse mental health indicators (chronic stress-related biomarkers) among those who moved into poor quality work than those who stayed unemployed. Those who moved into higher quality work experienced better health outcomes overall, indicating the importance of considering job quality when helping individuals obtain employment.