Race/ethnic Differences in the Link between Unemployment and Health During and After the Great Recession

• In Event: 1284 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 10. Race/Ethnicity, Health, and Work

Abstract

Introduction: The Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 took greater toll on many already-disadvantaged groups such as African Americans and Hispanics than on whites. This paper examines the racial and ethnic differences in the link between unemployment and self-rated health in the context of Great Recession and recovery periods. Drawing on the stress process model, this study hypothesizes that the effects of unemployment would be stronger for African Americans and Hispanics than white and recession would exacerbate the health outcomes for minorities than whites.

Methods: This study pooled de-identified data from 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2015 Behavioral and Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Logistic regression models are used to estimate the likelihood of self-rated poor health as a function of unemployment. Mediating roles of health behaviors are examined using additive modeling strategy.

Results: In general, results indicate that unemployment has both direct and indirect effects on reporting poor health. Compared to employed individuals, the short-term unemployment (<1 year), the long-term unemployment (>1 year), and those who remained out of labor force were more likely to report poorer physical health. The size of the coefficients for short-term and long-term unemployment categories was slightly higher for whites than blacks and Hispanics even after controlling for a large number of SES, demographic, and health insurance factors. Only a small part of the association was explained by health behaviors. Interaction between unemployment categories and pre-recession (2006), recession (2008), and post-recession years (2010, 2015) suggests that post- recession context has stronger negative effect for reporting poorer health among blacks and Hispanics than their white counterparts.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that during post-recession racial disparities in health are narrowed. The findings have implications for promoting well-being and better coping strategies during economic recession for both white and racial minorities.

Author

• Jalal Uddin, University of Alabama-Birmingham