Occupational status, working conditions, and health: evidence from the 2012 China Labor Force Dynamics Survey
Yaqiang Qi, Tongxin Liang, Hua Ye
Abstract
Abstract This study investigates the relationship between occupational status and health inequality in the working population by analyzing data from the 2012 China Labor Force Dynamics Survey. The results show that individual health varies substantially by occupational status, including self-assessed health, work-related injury, and self-reported occupational disease. Low occupational status is associated with poorer self-assessed health and increased incidences of work-related injuries, while people with the high occupational status report more occupational diseases. Further analysis indicates that working condition is the main mediator between occupational status and individual health. Based on the results from the Karlson–Holm–Breen decomposition, the disparities in working conditions, including working overtime, environmental and occupational hazards, job demand and control, and perceived rewards, account for approximately half of the effects of occupation status on individual health.