The Health Effects of Being Out of Work for Men

There seems to be a clear correlation between health status and being out of the work force. Those out of work, at least prime-age men (25 to 54 years), are plagued more often by health issues. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) data quoted by the Brookings Institution, prime-age males out of the work force are more likely to report that their health is "fair" or "poor" compared to a male in the labor force (37 percent versus 5 percent). Of course, the data doesn't show if in some cases the reason for somebody being out of work in the first place might have been his poor health.