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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Clare Bambra, Emeritus Prof David Hunter
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© The Author(s) 2016. Recommodification, the withdrawal of social welfare, has been going on for some decades in both Sweden and England. Recommodification disproportionately affects the unemployed because of their weak market position. We investigated the impact recommodification has had on health inequalities between the employed and unemployed in Sweden and England. Using national surveys, odds ratios for the likelihood of reporting less than good health between the employed and unemployed were computed annually between 1991 and 2011. The correlation between these odds ratios and net replacement rates was then examined. Health inequalities between the employed and unemployed were greater in 2011 than in 1991 in both countries. Sweden began with smaller health inequalities, but by 2011, they were in line with those in England. Sweden experienced more recommodification than England during this period, although it started from a much less commodified position. Correspondingly, correlation between unemployment benefit generosity and health inequalities was stronger in Sweden than in England. Recommodification is linked to ill health among the unemployed and to the health gap between the employed and unemployed. We propose that further recommodification will be associated with increased health inequalities between the employed and unemployed.
Author(s): Farrants K, Bambra C, Nylen L, Kasim A, Burstrom B, Hunter D
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: International Journal of Health Services
Year: 2016
Volume: 46
Issue: 2
Pages: 300-324
Print publication date: 01/04/2016
Online publication date: 21/03/2016
Acceptance date: 01/01/1900
ISSN (print): 0020-7314
ISSN (electronic): 1541-4469
Publisher: SAGE Publications Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731416637829
DOI: 10.1177/0020731416637829
PubMed id: 27000134
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