Unemployment, mortality and the problem of health-related selection: Evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study

Associations between unemployment and mortality are often complicated by processes of health-related selection. Testing whether unemployment causes health deterioration is complicated because failing health may increase the probability of unemployment. In some previous studies of unemployment and mortality a ‘wear-off’ period, after employment status is observed, is used which ignores the first few years of mortality events. It is assumed that selection effects will wear-off during this period. In this study we aim to test the effectiveness of using wear-off periods.