Trajectories of Mid-Life Job Insecurity and Employment - Associations with Cognitive Function in the HRS-HCAP

Q: What was the main objective of the study?

To examine how employment and perceived job insecurity trajectories from 1998–2014 relate to cognitive functioning measured in 2016.

Q: How were cognitive outcomes analyzed in relation to employment patterns?

Researchers used gender-stratified sequence analyses to identify employment trajectory clusters and then applied weighted linear regression models to estimate associations with standardized cognitive scores.

Q: Which types of employment trajectories were most linked to cognitive deficits?

Cognitive deficits were concentrated in clusters characterized by unstable trajectories, such as early labor force exits and inconsistent employment.

Sep 29, 2026

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Continued workforce participation may protect cognitive health in later life, yet job insecurity and instability can erode these benefits. This study analyzed employment and perceived job insecurity trajectories from 1998 to 2014, relating them to domain-specific cognitive functioning in 2016 among 2,618 HRS-HCAP participants under age 67 in 1998. Sequence analyses and weighted regression models identified six trajectory clusters and quantified associations with standardized cognitive scores, showing more deficits in unstable pathways for both genders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Trajectories and cognitive outcomes

Data source and participants

Trajectory clustering and modeling

Findings by gender and cognitive domains

Implications for extending workforce participation

1286 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Public Health, New York, New York, United States, 2. Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, United States, 3. University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States, 4. King’s College London, King’s College London, England, United Kingdom, 5. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 6. Columbia University, New York, New York, United States Continued workforce participation may preserve cognitive health in older age. However, many Americans face job insecurity and instability in later-life which may undermine these benefits. We examined the association of employment and perceived job insecurity trajectories (1998-2014) with domain-specific cognitive functioning (2016) among Health and Retirement Study Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol participants aged < 67 years in 1998 (n = 2,618) . Gender-stratified sequence analyses identified clusters of employment trajectories and adjusted linear regression models—weighted for differential retention and survival—estimated associations with standardized cognitive scores. We observed six trajectory clusters for men and women: predominantly job secure employment (reference), job secure to retirement transition, predominantly job insecure employment, predominantly self-employed, predominantly retirement, not in labor force (women only), and inconsistent employment (men only) . Among women, retirement, not in the labor force, and secure-to-retirement paths were linked to lower memory (β range=-2.52 to-3.94) and executive function (β range=-2.65 to-4.00) scores compared to predominantly secure employment. For men, inconsistent employment was linked to underperformance on memory (β=-4.50, 95% CI=-7.12, -1.89), executive function (β=-5.33, 95% CI=-8.09, -2.57), language (β=-3.60, 95% CI=-6.20, -1.00), and orientation (β=-0.43, 95% CI=-0.69,-0.16) while retirement predicted lower memory (β=-3.64, 95% CI=-6.08, -1.19) scores and job insecurity predicted lower language scores (β=-3.01, 95% CI=-5.80, -0.23) . Cognitive deficits were concentrated among clusters defined by unstable trajectories, including early labor force exits and inconsistent employment. As interest in extending labor force participation at older ages increases, our findings underscore the role of employment stability and security on cognitive functioning. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4289 TRAJECTORIES OF MID-LIFE JOB INSECURITY AND EMPLOYMENT: ASSOCIATIONS WITH COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THE HRS-HCAP Erika Beidelman1, Xuexin Yu1, Rachel Donnelly2, Mateo Farina3, Constance Beaufils4, Amanda Sonnega5, and Yuan Zhang6, 1. Columbia University Mailman School of

FAQs

What was the main objective of the study?

To examine how employment and perceived job insecurity trajectories from 1998–2014 relate to cognitive functioning measured in 2016.

How were cognitive outcomes analyzed in relation to employment patterns?

Researchers used gender-stratified sequence analyses to identify employment trajectory clusters and then applied weighted linear regression models to estimate associations with standardized cognitive scores.

Which types of employment trajectories were most linked to cognitive deficits?

Cognitive deficits were concentrated in clusters characterized by unstable trajectories, such as early labor force exits and inconsistent employment.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Bulrr