Objectives This study aimed to investigate the impact of low job control on labor market participation expressed through working life expectancy (WLE) and working years lost (WYL) among men and women in Sweden.

Methods A random sample of 100 000 individuals was drawn from the Swedish Work, Illness, and labor market Participation (SWIP) cohort of the registered Swedish population in 2005 born 1945 to 1975. The multi-state estimated labor market affiliation method was used to estimate WLE and WYL due to unemployment, sickness absence, other, disability pension, early old-age pension, and death over a 15-year period (2006–2020). Job control was assessed through a job exposure matrix.

Results Men and women in high-control jobs had a longer WLE at each age. At age 30, the WLE for men in high-control jobs was 26.3 years while for men in low-control jobs this was 2.5 years shorter. For women, WLE at 30 was 25.8 years for high-control jobs but nearly five years shorter for low-control jobs. For both men and women, these differences were mostly due to disability pension and unemployment. Those in lower control jobs could expect to lose more working years according to nearly all other states besides active employment.

Conclusions Higher job control is linked to longer WLE, while low job control is an important determinant of WYL in the Swedish workforce. Addressing low job control could extend working lives and reduce inequities in labor market outcomes.

Key terms job control; labor market participation; psychosocial working condition; Sweden; working life expectancy; working years lost

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