Employment pattern and depression for middle-aged and older natives and immigrants

• In Event: 30860 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 7. Employment, Retirement, and Aging

Abstract

Stable full-time employment and voluntary retirement are important to the well-being of older
adults, in terms of both economic status and mental and physical health. This study examines
the employment and retirement transition pattern of middle-aged adults to older adults, as well
as these patterns’ association with depression. This study focuses on differences between natives
and immigrants, using data from the 1992-1998 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) of 5,219
respondents who were aged 50 to 65 at the baseline. Sequence analysis and multivariate analysis
were employed to identify key employment and retirement patterns. Findings show that natives
tend to exhibit greater stability in full-time employment, while immigrants show more variation
in transition patterns. Among those who have full-time employment before out of labor market,
natives are more likely to main their origin status and exit labor market later. Among those who
indicated retired, there is no significant difference in the type of retirement observed between
natives and immigrants. Immigrants have higher depression scores in both the first wave and
last wave compared with natives. Early exit from the labor market and job instability (part-time
employment and unemployment) are associated with higher levels of depression, with a greater
impact observed among immigrants compared to natives. The findings highlight the importance
of job stability and voluntary retirement in supporting mental health for immigrants and reducing
social inequalities among middle-aged to older adults

Author

• Yingyue Jiang, Brown University