Gender and Life-Cycle Differentials in the Impact of Health on Employment in Jamaica
May 1997
Abstract
The impact of health on labor market work is analyzed using Jamaican micro data. In contrast to most studies which focus on retirement, we investigate this relationship for individuals aged 15-80 and find that poor health has a significant effect on both the entry and retirement decision. Although women report higher incidences of poor health, the impact of ill-health is larger for males than females. Results are robust to an alternative measure of health status based on activities of daily living. These latter estimates indicate that while any limitation affects the employment behavior of males, only severe limitations affect the behavior of females.
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