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Using the Health and Retirement Study for Research on the Impact of the Working Conditions on the Individual Life Course

  • Kathleen J. Mullen EMAIL logo

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the utility of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for studying the impact of working conditions on individuals’ health, well-being and labor supply decisions at older ages. I provide a brief overview of the information on working conditions that is currently available in the HRS and discuss implications for studies on the effects of working conditions on the individual life course. I conclude with a discussion of how recent and projected trends in the U.S. workforce are reflected in the current HRS survey content.


Corresponding author: Kathleen J. Mullen, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA, E-mail:
This research was requested by the Health and Retirement Study’s Data Monitoring Committee. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the author. I am grateful to Brooke Helppie-McFall and Amanda Sonnega for helpful information regarding current survey content and planned data enhancement activities, and an anonymous reviewer for helpful comments and suggestions.

Funding source: HRS Data Monitoring Committee

Award Identifier / Grant number: honorarium

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Received: 2021-12-02
Accepted: 2022-05-25
Published Online: 2022-06-22

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