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Social Inequalities in Work and Health in a Globalized Economy

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Bridging Occupational, Organizational and Public Health

Abstract

Given the rapid spread of economic globalization and technological progress, work and employment have changed significantly. In general, working people are less often exposed to physically strenuous work but more often to psycho-mental stress at work. Despite improved occupational safety measures, occupational hazards and injuries, shift work, overtime work, and adverse psychosocial work environments contribute to a substantial burden of work-related diseases. This burden of disease is unequally distributed between and within countries, leaving socially deprived groups at higher risk of poor health. This chapter presents updated empirical evidence on associations of adverse work and employment conditions with the health of working people. Moreover, it elucidates the contribution of work and employment to social inequalities in adult health. The concluding remarks address policy implications of scientific evidence, with special emphasis on the role of health-promoting national labor and social policies.

Some parts of this contribution were written with close reference to the following document: Siegrist, Rosskam, and Leka (2011). Review of social determinants of health and the health divide in the WHO European Region: Employment and working conditions including occupation, unemployment and migrant workers. Copenhagen: World Health Organization (Unpublished report).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Duesseldorf, Life Science Center, Merowingerplatz 1a, D-40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

    Johannes Siegrist (Senior Professorship of Work Stress Research)

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  1. Johannes Siegrist
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Correspondence to Johannes Siegrist .

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Siegrist, J. (2014). Social Inequalities in Work and Health in a Globalized Economy. In: Bridging Occupational, Organizational and Public Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5640-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5640-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5640-3

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