Effect of changing mortality on the working life of American men and women, 1970-1990

Soc Biol. 1997 Spring-Summer;44(1-2):153-8. doi: 10.1080/19485565.1997.9988942.

Abstract

The mortality patterns of men and women of working age, in terms of the major causes of death, have changed over the past three decades. This study assesses the extent to which mortality among persons of working age represents an economic loss to society. This economic loss is measured by the per capita loss of productive working life, defined as the number of years, on the average, a person can expect to be an active member of the labor force. Causes of death affecting primarily older Americans (heart disease, cancer, stroke) had a relatively small and declining impact on the working lives of men and women. Major causes of death affecting the young (motor vehicle accidents, homicide, AIDS), although accounting for fewer deaths, were responsible for many more years of lost productivity. Gender and socioeconomic differentials in mortality suggest that different strategies are necessary for future reductions in lost work-years.

PIP: This study examined the impact of mortality by cause and age on labor force participation (LFP) among adults and youth in the US. Mortality data were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. LFP rates were obtained from work life estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Worklife expectancy values for 1979-80 were used for the time periods 1970, 1979-80, and 1995. Deaths by cause and age were weighted. Findings indicate that 66% of all deaths due to heart disease, cancer, and stroke among all males in 1970, occurred among persons aged older than 65 years. 88% of men who died in motor vehicle accidents were aged under 65 years. The number of work years lost per death due to motor vehicle accidents increased somewhat for women and for men during 1970-80, and decreased for men and women aged under 30 years, by 1990. The number of work years lost to each of the 3 leading causes of death was slight for women. The proportion of female and male deaths due to the 3 leading causes increased over the 3 periods among women and men aged over 65 years. Women showed greater reductions in average number of work years lost due to the 3 chronic causes than men. More work years were lost due to AIDS deaths than motor vehicle accidents. Homicide had the greatest negative impact on years of productive worklife for women in 1990, followed by AIDS and then motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents, homicide, and AIDS, which affect young people more, were fewer in number but caused greater loss of productive worklife, than the three chronic causes.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic / mortality
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / mortality
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cause of Death
  • Employment / economics*
  • Female
  • Homicide
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mortality / trends*
  • United States / epidemiology