Employment Precarity and Adverse Behavioral Health Outcomes in the NLSY79 and 97 Cohorts

Employment arrangements across industries and demographic groups have become increasingly precarious in
recent decades. This shift has resulted in a growing proportion of the workforce that is exposed to risks and
vulnerabilities associated with insecure and substandard employment. There is an urgent need to understand
the role of employment precarity in increasing an individual's risk of adverse behavioral health outcomes,
which are particularly prevalent among working-age adults and result in considerable loss of productivity in US
workplaces. To address this critical issue, robust analyses of existing longitudinal data which allow for
comprehensive measurement of individuals' experiences with employment precarity and their relationships
with behavioral health are needed. Few existing studies, especially in the US, have sought to measure
employment precarity comprehensively and longitudinally and, to date, no such studies have explored the
relationships between the precarity of individuals' employment trajectories and their behavioral health. Existing
studies of employment precarity have also failed to account for interruptions in employment and changes in
jobs over time, despite the known impact of unemployment on adverse behavioral health outcomes. In light of
these gaps in existing research, the proposed study will employ data from two National Longitudinal Survey of
Youth (NLSY) cohorts (1979 & 1997) to define measures of employment precarity and employment variability
and characterize their longitudinal trajectories (Aim 1) and model associations between employment precarity
and substance use, two indicators of behavioral health (Aims 2 and 3). The extensive nature of the NLSY79
and 97 datasets will allow for characterization of disparities in employment precarity trajectories and cumulative
employment variability, with the potential to elucidate key risk factors affecting the prevalence of precarious
work. This pursuit, coupled with the proposed test of whether trajectories of employment precarity and
variability are associated with adverse behavioral health in these two longitudinal datasets, addresses research
gaps highlighted in the 2020 NORA Healthy Work Design and Well-Being report and can inform opportunities
for intervention addressing intersections of work, psychological distress, and substance misuse across the life
course. This study provides an excellent opportunity for mentored training and career development focused on
the expansion and refinement of skills and knowledge necessary to purse the proposed research aims and
career goals. My proposed career development plan will 1) build my understanding of behavioral health
outcomes and mechanisms associated with employment, 2) expand my knowledge of advanced survey
methodology, 3) develop my competency in statistical concepts for longitudinal analysis of survey data, and 4)
strengthen my practical skills in statistical computing for the analysis of longitudinal survey data. These
activities, in conjunction with the proposed research strategy, will facilitate my development as an independent
researcher poised to be highly competitive for external funding and to significantly impact the field.

Grant Number: 5K01OH012319-03
NIH Institute/Center: ALLCDC
Principal Investigator: Tessa Bonney