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An ongoing shift away from traditional and full-time employment has been associated with significant declines in health status and economic well-being, suggests a study in the September issue of the
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Edward Yelin, PhD, of The University of California, San Francisco, analyzed trends in kinds of work, working conditions, and health and economic status over the past two decades. Data were drawn from two surveys of working-age California adults performed in 1999-2000 and 2022-2023.
The analysis focused on the growth and impact of "alternative" employment, such as independent contracting, on-call work, and subcontracting; and "contingent" employment, defined as work not expected to continue beyond the current year.
Although overall employment rates remained about the same, the surveys showed major changes in the kinds and quality of work. The proportion of part-time workers increased from 24.7% to 28.7%, while the percentage of full-time, full-year employees decreased from 56.4% to 51.8%.
Total work hours decreased by a median 160 hours—equivalent to about four weeks of full-time employment. Respondents were more likely to report staying at the same job for one year or less and less likely to report getting a promotion or moving to a better job.
The changes in employment were associated with worsening economic security and health status. The percentage of respondents with household incomes of less than 125% of poverty level increased from 12.9% to 15.0%, while the proportion who reported being in fair or poor health increased from 15.1% to 24.0%.
The surveys were designed to meet the need for integrated data on employment trends and economic and health status. The results suggest a "substantial decrease in optimal work"—almost completely due to increases in non-traditional employment with suboptimal working conditions.
While the study cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, "[T]he evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that the growth of the working conditions associated with non-traditional employment may have adverse effects on the economic and psychological well-being of workers," Dr. Yelin and coauthors write. They highlight the need for continued efforts to protect the health and well-being of traditional employees while expanding those protections to workers with alternative or contingent employment.