University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Fewer Work Hours, Poorer Health? Exploring the Impacts of Worktime Insecurity in a Precarious Labor Market Using the IPUMS CPS-ASES 2016-2023 Dataset

Lu, Qianyi Sinyee

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132946

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Title
Fewer Work Hours, Poorer Health? Exploring the Impacts of Worktime Insecurity in a Precarious Labor Market Using the IPUMS CPS-ASES 2016-2023 Dataset
Author(s)
Lu, Qianyi Sinyee
Issue Date
2025-04-04
Keyword(s)
Precarious Employment; Health; COVID-19 Pandemic;S Working Hours; Health Disparity.
Date of Ingest
2026-02-27T16:49:40-06:00
Abstract
Background Previous research has linked precarious employment and non-standard scheduling to adverse health outcomes, but the specific impact of worktime insufficiency and instability remains underexplored Objective This paper wishes to test examine relationships between worktime duration, volatility, and self-rated overall health, particularly within varying period contexts like the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This study utilizes the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Current Population Survey-Annual Social and Economic Supplements panel dataset (2016-2023, n=63,636) and logistic models with interaction terms. Results The ratio of good to poor health improves as work hours or within-person annual variation increases, within thresholds, even after controlling for baseline health. This supports an inverted U-shape relationship. Notably, the adverse health effect of worktime insufficiency is significantly intensified during the pandemic, reducing the probability of good health by about 2% for those with reduced work hours, although the adverse impacts largely reversed post-pandemic. However, no similar period effect is observed between worktime instability and health. Conclusions This study highlights that workers with precarious worktime face significant health disadvantages, particularly during socio-economic upheavals and public health crises. Contributions This study extends the current literature on occupational health, through demonstrating that worktime precarity has manifest to be a crucial socio-economic determinant of health.
Series/Report Name or Number
Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting Flash Session
Type of Resource
still image

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