Leader: Sara Viotti (UNIVE/UNITO), Elena COTTINI (UNICATT); Other collaborator(s): Irene Mammi (UNIVE)
Estimate through statistical/econometric models pathways to retirement related to the risk of injuries and health hazards. Relate to contextual variables that generate eligibility conditions for disability provisions. Estimate the impact of disabilities at the individual level and for society as a whole. Estimate the role of co-designing a safe environment and of training on the job with particular attention to the green transition. Develop a multidimensional indicator of “aging at work” with physical health - type of job, hazardous and risky tasks, chronic health conditions and/or disabilities; mental health - presence of cognitive impairment (HCAP measures in SHARE), mental distress (anxiety, depression). Indexes of “work capacity” with health demands of each job. Support the design of policies for retirement arrangements and for retaining older workers at the work-place and enhancing their productivity. Index of “health and safety literacy” that can be estimated at individual level and firm’s level (matched Employer/Employee data) and/or evaluate the feasibility of inserting the index in exisiting surveys.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
Used longitudinal data from SHARE to generate specific health indicators related to three different health domains: physical health, mental health, and cognitive abilities: huge variations in specific health conditions.
Constructed synthetic health indicators, one for each domain and documented their age-related patterns, by gender. Generated occupation-specific indicators from O*Net, that capture the job-specific intensity, requirements, skills, and tasks that impact the evolution of workers' health conditions over the three domains and matched them with SHARE data. The merge was done based on the ISCO classification of jobs used by SHARE by following the crosswalk provided by O*Net. Exploited occupation-specific indicators from O*Net in regression models for the worker’s health status to predict individual health trajectories and assess how they depend on exposure to occupational characteristics and job-specific hazard. Used information on the universe of private firms in Italy (through the VISITINPS Programme) to analyse the evolution of the risk of occupational accidents at firm level, before and after the pension reform of 2011. For each firm, identify workers blocked by the reform and for how many years, and firms more affected by the increase in the retirement age. Compared with the evolution of the risk of occupational accidents for different age groups of workers between different companies, controlling for the characteristics of the companies and their workforces.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Identification of the main occupational characteristics that affect workers' health (Health Index). We evaluate how these factors impact workers' retention in the labour market. Pension reforms that prolong working life may induce higher vulnerability to more severe injuries for older workers: which are the most vulnerable groups of workers, e.g. among the occupations prone to a higher risk of injuries. Our results will provide valuable insights for policymakers in shaping effective workplace policies to deal with the increased average age of workers
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
1. Estimates of pathways to retirement related to the health status, health hazards and to the risk of injuries. The role of co-designing to guarantee a safe environment for older workers.
2. “Aging at work” measured with physical health - type of job, hazardous and risky tasks, chronic health conditions and/or disabilities; mental health - presence of cognitive impairment, mental distress (anxiety, depression). Indexes of “work capacity” with health demands of each job.
3. Strategies for older workers transiting into retirement emphasize maintaining work-life balance. These are keys to enhance workforce retention and inform policies aimed at supporting aging workers.
4. Estimates of the role of local spending for old age and managing resource scarcity by municipalities: preliminary findings suggest that local spending may not be enough to counteract unequal ageing.
5. Estimates of gender imbalances in older age groups, which also interact with the health of female workers and the gender pension gap (see also WP5).
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
We constructed a dataset using INAIL Open Data for the period 2008-2019, which provides detailed information on all occurrences of workplace injuries in Italy. This dataset includes information about the worker (gender, age) and the firm (size, sector, location), allowing us to document injury risks by age and gender. We then calculated injury and fatal injury risk rates. Our analysis reveals that women face higher injury risks. Additionally, younger workers (ages 15-34) and older workers (ages 50+) also exhibit increased injury risks. Notably, fatal workplace injury rates are significantly higher among older workers.
A second source of data that we us is INPS administrative data. Within a VisitINPS project, we are studying how the increased retention of older workers in the firm influences the risk of workplace accident among retained older workers as well as on their coworkers, i.e. are there potential spillover effects on younger colleagues? We leverage linked administrative data in a difference-in-difference setting, comparing firms more affected by a pension reform (i.e. employ more workers who had to extend more their working life) vs. firms less affected by the reform. However, results are still very preliminary.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Potential policy suggestions include integrating digital and robotic technology in low-skilled sectors to enhance productivity, extending working life in high-skilled occupations to retain expertise, and investing in health and safety measures for SMEs to ensure safer work environments.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
Leveraging data from INAIL and ISTAT, the aim is to investigate trends in workplace accidents among Italian workers from 2008 to 2021, with a focus is posed on the relationship between ageing and work-related injuries, both fatal and non-fatal. Several indexes have been created, such as workplace accidents gender, age group and sector of economic activity. For instance, results suggest a decreasing overall trend in non-fatal injuries; however young workers (15-34) fare 1.5 times more likely to experience such injuries than older workers (50-64). Conversely, fatal accidents are significantly more frequent between workers aged over 65 (5 times) and 50-64 (2 times), when compared to their youngest counterpart.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Evidence of age-specific injury risk highlights the need for targeted safety regulations and, plausibly, the provision of safer roles for older workers. On the basis of sector-specific results, industries could implement targeted safety programs and invest in tools that protect the health of both young and old workers.
Dissemination Events:
Scientific Output: