Abstract
Unemployment is associated strongly with poor health. This chapter discusses the underlying mechanisms of associations between unemployment and poor health: the selection hypothesis states that poor health will increase the probability of unemployment, whereas the causation hypothesis proposes that unemployment may cause poor health. Both patterns largely explain why unemployment is a major determinant of socio-economic health disparities in many countries. Unemployed persons in poor health need tailored return to work programmes. Specific interventions have been developed to support unemployed persons with health problems to re-enter paid employment. Adequacy of policies to protect workers with health problems against exclusion from the labour market will be discussed.
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Burdorf, A., Schuring, M. (2015). Poor Health as Cause and Consequence of Prolonged Unemployment: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Policy Recommendations. In: Vuori, J., Blonk, R., Price, R. (eds) Sustainable Working Lives. Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9798-6_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9798-6_12
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