Study Finds Employment Slows Cognitive Decline in Older Adults, Especially After Involuntary Job Loss
By
Noah Arman Kouchekinia,
27d ago· 4 min readenInsight
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Summary
This NBER working paper investigates whether employment slows cognitive decline in older adults. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and leveraging labor market shocks (plant closures and mass layoffs) as exogenous variation in employment, the authors find that employment significantly slows cognitive decline. The effects are particularly pronounced for those with less education and for those who experience involuntary job loss. The research suggests that continued employment may have protective cognitive benefits for aging populations.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledEmployment significantly slows cognitive decline among older individuals.
The effects are particularly pronounced for those with less education and for those who experience involuntary job loss.
Using plant closures and mass layoffs as labor market shocks, we find evidence that continued employment provides protective cognitive benefits.
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professionals.
