Jobs

Job-related stress reduces workers' lifespans: study

Stressful jobs can shorten life
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Stressful jobs can shorten life

You job may be killing you.

No, really.

Employment-related stress can cut the number of years people live, according to a study from researchers at Harvard and Stanford that was discussed on Wednesday in Washington Post's Wonkblog.

Factors such as unemployment, layoffs, or other types of job insecurity, lack of health insurance, and low control over one's job were some of the most salient dangers, the Post said. For the people most affected — black men with 12 or fewer years of education — work stress can shave almost three years off life.

Marlene Roth
This mistake cost one worker nearly $800,000

Workers with less education tended to end up in more stressful work environments, as were black and Hispanic workers. When controlling for race and education, stress often, but not always, does more damage to men than women, the study found.

The good news, writes Wonkblog's Ana Swanson, is that some of the solutions to this are relatively straightforward.

Read the full article in the Washington Post