Social
Cumulative layoffs in adulthood and cognitive function in mid-to-later life among US working-age adults, 1979-2020 Xuexin Yu* Xuexin Yu Yu Yu Yu Yu Yu Columbia University
OBJECTIVE As one of the most disruptive life events, layoffs are pervasive in the US labor market, while little is known about the neurological consequences of cumulative layoff experience across adulthood. We examined the association between cumulative layoff experience spanning up to 41 years of adulthood and subsequent cognitive function in mid-to-later life.
METHODS Data were from 6,421 adults in the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. Cumulative layoff experience, defined as the number of jobs ending in a layoff from 1979 to 2020 (age 15-63), was categorized as never (n = 4,503), one layoff (n = 1,402), and ≥two layoffs (n = 516). Latent factor scores in episodic memory, attention, orientation, and language domains in 2020 (age 56-63) were estimated using confirmatory factor analysis. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were used to estimate associations of interest.
RESULTS Mean age at baseline was 20 years (SD=2.8), and 53% were women. A higher frequency of layoffs was associated with lower latent factor scores in episodic memory (β = -0.046, 95% CI: -0.101 to 0.009, one layoff vs. never; β = -0.089, 95% CI: -0.174 to -0.004, ≥two layoffs vs. never; P trend = 0.030), but not in attention, orientation, or language domains. The observed association did not vary by timing of layoff exposure, sex/gender, or race/ethnicity.
CONCLUSION Given its ubiquity in the US labor market, layoffs may represent an important and understudied risk factor for episodic memory function among US adults.
