Job insecurity not only has an impact on the economy of individuals and families. Several studies show that the lack of social protection or low wages, among others, negatively affect the physical and mental health of working people. We speak with Nuria Matilla Santander, a post-doctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institute’s Occupational Medicine Unit in Stockholm, Sweden. Matilla is dedicated to researching working conditions, with a focus on job insecurity, and its effects on the population’s health.

What do we understand as job insecurity? What characteristics should be given to determine that an employment relationship is precarious?

Job insecurity could be defined as a cluster of very negative characteristics that occur in a job (both in the field of formal or informal economy). The characteristics that define job insecurity are job insecurity (such as contractual, temporary, underemployment, having multiple jobs or / and in different sectors), insufficient income (low income levels, income volatility) and lack of rights and protection (such as lack of unionization, social security, regulatory support and labor rights).

Furthermore, job insecurity is an important social determinant of health and health inequalities. According to the World Health Organization, the social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. Furthermore, these determinants generate differences in health, unfair and avoidable, in and between countries.

How does job insecurity affect the health of people who suffer from it?

According to theories and opinions of experts and experts, job insecurity would affect the health of the working population and their families through 3 different routes.

One is through harmful exposures to health in the workplace, such as psychosocial risks (abuse, discrimination, stress), physical (noise pollution, radiation …), chemicals (cleaning products, pesticides. .), among others. For example, in a study carried out with data from the year 2014 and that included all the countries of the European Union, we observed how those people who worked in precarious conditions of work reported a higher proportion suffering stress, or discrimination in their jobs.

Another way by which job insecurity could affect health is through material deprivation. People suffering from job insecurity are more likely to have insufficient resources to maintain an adequate standard of living, such as access to health care services, adequate housing, or participation in social activities. In fact, studies carried out in Sweden and Canada describe that people who work in precarious conditions and who also have a worse state of self-perceived health, show a greater proportion of restrictions on participating in social gatherings, as well as difficulties in managing regular expenses.

Finally, job insecurity could also affect health through the experience and experience of job insecurity, such as jobs that are not very gratifying, the experience of insecurity or feelings of helplessness, guilt and uncertainty. In this sense, a study that we have carried out in Stockholm, described that 7 out of 10 people who are in precarious job conditions would like to work in another job.

What health problems are the most frequent derived from job insecurity?

Research on job insecurity has focused, mostly, on studying the mental health and self-perceived health of people who work in a precarious way. Studies at the European level and other countries such as Canada, the United States, Chile, Egypt or South Korea clearly and constantly demonstrate that job insecurity is associated with worse mental health, including depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and suicidal thoughts . In addition, it has also been described that job insecurity increased the risk of workplace injuries. There are a few studies that begin to describe other possible health effects of job insecurity. In a study carried out with data from the European Union, we describe that people who work precariously declare a greater proportion to suffer muscle pain, headache, respiratory problems, allergies and skin problems, among others. According to studies based on in-depth interviews carried out in several countries, people who work in precarious conditions describe suffering from chronic stress and its health consequences, such as anxiety, skin irritations or worsening health conditions, such as asthma attacks or allergies.

Currently, we are investigating other possible health effects of job insecurity, and in a few years, we will be able to explain more fully what the health effects of job insecurity are.

Is there a difference between men and women in this regard?

Both the proportion of the working population in job insecurity, as well as the health effects of job insecurity, are much higher in women than in men. And this is demonstrated by studies carried out around the world. In general, women are more at risk of job insecurity compared to men throughout their working lives, as reflected in the huge gap that still exists. This is due to gender inequalities, women are on the one hand, the main responsible for performing unpaid work, such as household chores as well as those responsible for family dependents, and also, for these reasons, must access poorer quality jobs (informal jobs, flexible contracts, etc.). In addition, there is discrimination in the labor market, being visible with the famous “glass ceiling” that we come across to improve job conditions.

In the case of domestic workers, there is also the fact that many of them are migrants. Is there a direct relationship between origin and precariousness?

Job insecurity disproportionately affects migrant people. The temporary migrant working population, mainly in agriculture and care work, constitutes a large proportion of the population working precariously. Discrimination due to the country of origin is very present in the labor market. In addition, migrant people suffer uncertainty with residence permits, and limitations in access to education and health, and this leads them to access low-paid and often more dangerous health jobs. For example, several studies show that migrant people who work in jobs very similar to non-migrant people, work more unpredictable hours, as well as night or shifting shifts compared to non-migrant people. Some studies show “the tip of the iceberg” of the problem, but more studies are still needed to understand all the barriers that migrant people face in the labor market.

Are there types of work that are more precarious and have a greater impact on health? Is care work one of them?

Job insecurity is more frequent in certain sectors, such as the service, agricultural and fishing sectors, in operators and assemblers of plants and machines, workers and sales workers in shops and markets, and in elementary occupations. Being care work a job characterized by job insecurity due in part to the fact that in most cases, it is carried out informally. Informality is synonymous with health risk. The population that works in the informal economy does not have access to social protection systems linked to a labor contract, as well as courses on occupational risk prevention or training, or labor rights and people suffer from job insecurity.

What impact can this have on the development of family and community projects?

In my opinion, I think that two axes should be taken into account: first, the groups that job insecurity affects the most: women, young working population and migrants. The second is the different barriers that precariously working people face, such as difficulties in accessing training programs, difficulties in maintaining relationships with the community (whether for time or financial reasons), and which favor isolation. social, limited knowledge about their labor rights and where to find support and unionization.

How do we resolve this situation? Is there a way to undo it?

The good news is that if we can undo it, we need the political will to build a (more) just society. In order to “cure” health inequalities, it is necessary to solve the root of the problem. That is, the cause that generates job insecurity and at the same time, such detrimental effects on the health of the population. Job insecurity, being a social determinant of health, is the result of the distribution of money, power and resources at the global and local levels. Thus, caring for precariousness is an equitable distribution, powerful systems of social protection, ensuring that the working population has and can exercise their rights in complete freedom, the regulation of forms of work that endanger this equitable distribution and are a danger to the health of the working population. Furthermore, in order to combat the social determinants of health, it is very important to adopt the health framework in all policies.