Working Time, Income Inequality, and Life Expectancy: A Longitudinal Analysis of US States, 2005–2018

Abstract

Previous studies on the relationship between working time and health generally find that longer working hours are detrimental for health outcomes. An unexplored issue in prior research is how other social structures, such as income inequality, can influence the working time/health relationship. Integrating arguments on the health consequences of income inequality and working time, this study considers how income inequality moderates the relationship between working hours and average life expectancy. It is proposed that the effect of working hours on life expectancy is greater in places that have higher levels of income inequality due to the increased precarity, stress and anxiety associated with longer work hours. Examining data from all 50 US states from 2005 to 2018, results from two‐way fixed‐effect models suggest that states with longer average working hours tend to exhibit lower average life expectancy net of other important economic and demographic controls. The models also reveal that the effect of working time on life expectancy is larger in states with higher levels of income inequality. These findings suggest that there are complex linkages between working time and inequality that negatively impact population health.