Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The increasing cost of living makes many people work harder. However, a study shows that workers with low salaries have a faster risk of death.
This study was revealed by a study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The study, conducted by researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, tracked the work and health metrics of about 4,000 workers in the United States over 12 years. The researchers used University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study data collected between 1992 and 2018. All participants were at least 50 years old at the start of the study period and in their 60s at the end of the study period.
The result, according to the study, is that middle-aged workers who tend to earn low salaries have a higher risk of death. The risk is even twice as high for those who have precarious work and consistently earn low wages.
Low-wage workers are sick and stressed more often
Low-wage workers fall into the most at-risk category in the workforce. Because, they always do risky work at work, tend to be more stressed, and have a high risk to health.
Research data shows that low-wage workers are significantly more likely to report poor health, symptoms of depression, and not having health insurance covered by their company.
“Wages are a modifiable and actionable risk factor for improving health and health inequalities,” the researchers wrote.
Shifts in the composition of the labor market and local workforce shortages have pushed up wages in the US over the past two years. However, generally these wage increases cannot offset high price inflation.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Cost Index, when adjusting for inflation, wages and salaries fell by 1.2 percent for the year.
Low- and middle-income workers, especially those from the leisure and hospitality industries, typically experience faster wage growth than those with higher incomes. However, household incomes remain unequal and they continue to suffer losses due to inflation.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas researchers say that most of the income of low-income households is used for daily needs, such as food, gas and rent. Then, they also don’t have savings.
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Don’t be surprised, low-paid employees are at risk of short lives
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