The Longitudinal Association Between Health and Labour Market Participation: A Study of English Millennials

Background: Young adults in England face increasing health and labour market challenges, yet little is known about how health throughout the life course is associated with adulthood employment. This study examines the longitudinal association between prior health problems and labour market participation at age 32, focusing on the timing and accumulated health disadvantages among English Millennials. Methods: Using the Next Steps study data, we focused on three health indicators: long-term illness, self-rated general health, and mental health, measured in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Multinomial logistic regressions evaluated timing and accumulated health disadvantage, adjusting for gender, ethnicity and parental education and occupation during adolescence. Results: Poor health across all three life stages was consistently associated with increased risk of economic inactivity. In contrast, associations with unemployment were more selective, with health problems in early adulthood, but not in adolescence, remaining significant after accounting for earlier health issues. Accumulated exposure to all three health issues across life stages was also significantly associated with an increasing risk of unemployment and inactivity at age 32. Gender differences were observed: the association between poor health and later economic inactivity was generally stronger among men than women. However, for timing and accumulated mental health disadvantages, women showed a stronger link with unemployment. Conclusions: These findings emphasise the importance of adopting a life course perspective to understand the relationship between health and employment. Early support for health across dimensions during childhood and early adulthood could be essential for addressing later labour market inequalities and disengagement.